Outcasts
by EternalSorrow
Summary: AU. Two lonely souls, intertwined yet separated by the darkness. Brought together by fate, one must succumb. SesshoumaruxKagome
1. Opening Scene

A/N: A fic challenge presented by Fallen Angle of Dreams. As she asked for the rating to exceed those accepted by the story has been tripled posted on both my website and A Single Spark.

Disclaimer: Purely for fun. Not selling, not buying. Applies to all chapters.

**Opening Scene**

"It doesn't look like it's going to rain after all" Kagome Higurashi commented quietly to herself as she lay out under the stars, merely a few scattered clouds drifting along above.

The young woman was comfortable among the long grass within the field, her back upon the green couch and her eyes staring upward in admiration. Nature presented a beautiful picture before her, interrupted only at times by the clouds, but still creating a work of art no artist could hope to reproduce from their imagination. Sighing, she slowly turned over, looking around herself at the dark shadows with interest rather than fear, musing about her life as she did most nights.

Kagome belonged to a large household, and yet held no affections for most of the people she knew. She was a servant girl to the local voivode, being in his employ since she was a small child. The young woman held faint memories of her parents before they died, but these left no bittersweet taste upon her mind, as they were too vague to wholly believe.

Thinking back upon her short life, as she often did within her sanctuary, Kagome silently mourned her fate. She had been adopted into the household of the manor, the voivode and his wife, the only family willing to take the orphan. They had been cold toward her welcome, though, and remained so until this day. She was not unaware of why they treated her with such indifference, or even contempt, during most confrontations. The young woman was special.

Kagome knew she was different than others, her odd abilities becoming more prominent with every year she grew older. At first there had only been feelings of unease, and then terrible incidents had occurred within the household. A death, even the minor calamity of broken dishes, were felt by her before they happened. At first she had tried to warn the mistress before these occurrences, but had been soundly ignored until the event took place. After the suspicious and accusing glances from both the staff and masters of the house, she had avoided any discussion of her feelings.

However, Kagome had made many friendships among the staff, easing her aching loneliness. Most especially her relationship with Sango, the cook of the household, had become important to her. Her male companionship was fulfilled by Miroku the houshi, and Inuyasha, a hanyou, both servicemen given command of the guard. A young woman named Kikyou, newly arrived from one of the local villages to act as handmaiden to the mistress and assist the local priest in his duties, completed their odd little group.

Kagome sighed wistfully, her thoughts wandering in both envy and happiness. She had noticed of late the looks Inuyasha and Kikyou had been giving one another, the long gazes hinting at the emotions they wished to share. Miroku and Sango had also been spending much of their limited free time together, enjoying the company of the other. Though with the actions of the warrior houshi, Kagome much doubted their blissful nights went unmolested by his incessant attempts to grope the tough cook. Her female friend would tolerate none of the hentai's touches, though secretly she had informed the lonely young woman that she silently enjoyed his attentions.

Rolling over so she once more lay upon her back, Kagome closed her eyes and breathed deeply the scent of the heavy, ancient forest surrounding her. She knew there would be no one to interrupt her solitude in this place, the villagers and manor household avoiding venturing far into the woods. The young woman had heard stories of werewolves, vampires, and other creatures stalking the dark woods, but never paid heed to such tales.

Even the beginning of the fantasies lay steeped in legend, told only by the grandmothers of the local villages. Several centuries ago a young voivode had lived within sight of the manor she now resided in, his castle elegant and wondrous to behold. Nobility from great distances came to admire the grandeur and riches, though the prince of the lands was said to attract much of the attention. Apparently he had garnered many admirers but had refused all offers, much to his father's remonstrations. For such filial impiety, the legend spoke, he was cursed with a terrible disease and soon after his father perished mysteriously. The lands were now his but he had done nothing but banish the servants and seclude himself within the castle, answering no heeds from visitors and allowing the grounds to become wild with woods. With time most details of the tale were lost and only scattered parts remained of the end, allowing the legend to grow into such preposterous stories of ghouls and goblins.

However, some truth evidently lay ground within the tale, as the castle's remains could still be seen far beyond the populated lands. Looming over the forest she now lay amidst, the imposing structure darkened the sky with its presence.

But Kagome heeded not the fanciful tales of her elders, though she was greatly appreciative of their concerns. After all, they were merely meant to scare the children from wandering far from the homes. Many adults were even known to become lost in the large forest, though most of those were inexperienced with the paths. Many were never found, though many a searcher had stumbled upon the poor, decomposed corpse of a fallen traveler during their hunts. Considering disease was common in the area and a broken bone, if infected, could mean death, the villagers looked upon the body as one whose fate lay out of their hands. They had thus allowed the bodies to lie in their resting places and halted any further searches, knowing after a time that the fellow missing would not be recovered from the forest.

Fortunately, Kagome did not fear the remoteness and loneliness of the woods. She had ventured into the trees countless times since she was a young girl, having had only one mishap when being caught after sundown when she was but a child. However, she had learnt well the few paths which wandered into the great forest, finding ancient roads and hidden meadows which thrilled her adventurous spirit. Now she had memorized all the walkways and was well capable of traveling through the woods in the dark, her favorite time of the day.

However, Kagome was little aware of the danger she found herself in.

The shadows surrounding her cloaked more than the vegetation seen only by the light of the sun. Within the darkness, upon the edge of the meadow, a flutter of cloth could be seen moving slowly around the young girl's sanctuary. The dark cloak hid the tall figure of a stranger, their movements silent as bright golden eyes surveyed the young woman with a cold mix of curiosity, disdain, and indifference.

"Why can't _I_ find someone?" Kagome asked herself aloud, stretching out upon the tall grass. "But who would take someone like me, anyway?" she added with a sad, small smile upon her face. A few loose tears slid down her cheeks as she gazed at the starry sky. "I'm just a nobody" she bemoaned, her thoughts bringing to mind the images of her female companions. "Sango can cook and hold her own in any fight with Miroku. And then there's Kikyou." There she paused, thinking of the interest Inuyasha had acquired for the new arrival.

They had known one another from the village, Kagome had learnt that much about their relationship. Apparently a falling out had occurred some time before the hanyou had acquired his job at the manor, something about their occupations and species not matching well. The young woman was well aware hanyou were disdained by many of the peoples, but her friend's breeding had never been a bother. He was crude but had a good heart, and many times she had wondered what he would have been like as a husband and father. However, her hopes were now dashed with Kikyou's coming, her kind heart unwilling to interrupt the growing fondness regardless of her own emotions. Besides, though the handmaiden had been cold to her the few times they have conversed, she had not found fault with the beautiful and talented priestess.

Now here Kagome lay, wondering about her friend's relationships with both envy and happiness. With a heavy heart she thought perhaps someday she would find her knight in shining armor, but for now her hopes were soundly squashed. It would do her no good to sulk about her situation, allowing time and God's will to lead her to happiness.

Sitting up, Kagome hugged her knees to her chin and smiled with some mirth within the expression. She remained looking upward, her admiration of the sky leading to her inattentiveness of her surroundings.

With careful steps the stranger stalked his victim, a cruel smile upon pale, red lips. The figure entered the meadow, and the fading light of the sky, with slow steps, creeping upon the young woman with easy grace. However, the oblivious prey was saved by the sudden intervention of nature.

It started to rain.

"Dang it" Kagome quietly cursed, picking herself off the lawn and racing toward the trees. Thankfully the village was not far away, so the water would not damage her clothing which now only hung upon her body in rags.

The stranger watched the intended victim leave with narrowed eyes, looking upward to the dark sky with unmistakable vexation. However, the figure was not soon with the known intentions, their face quickly returning to the stoic expression so rightly suited.

"Kagome, where have you been?" Sango asked as she watched her bedraggled friend enter the kitchen, her dress soaked. "If the mistress catches you she won't hesitate to throw you out" she scolded, though she assisted in leading Kagome to the newly made fire within the stove.

"I'm sorry" Kagome shook out, clutching at herself in an attempt to heat her cool body. She was shivering from the dampness, the distance from the meadow to the manor longer than she had supposed. "Besides, the mistress needs me too badly" she added with a smile, thinking of the cleaning which compromised her chores.

"Well, no harm done I suppose" Sango replied with a sigh, shaking her head in amusement as she stoked the fire. "At least I was planning on starting the fire, since her majesty was demanding warmth."

"The night is pretty cold" Kagome commented, sighing as her clothes began to steam around her. "I didn't expect the clouds to come in so fast as they did, and the trees weren't much help." She regretted her words as her friend stiffened and slowly turned to gaze at her with accusing eyes.

"You were out in the woods again, weren't you" Sango stated rather than asked, knowing the answer and shaking the poker at her. "You know everyone is strictly prohibited from going into there by the priest." With a sigh she lowered her weapon and placed the steel stick next to the stove, turning toward the young woman with a worried look upon her face. "Why do you do these things, Kagome?"

"I just needed some time to myself" Kagome slowly and quietly explained, shaking off the loose water remaining on her dress and stepping back from the fire. "Well, I think I'll go to bed now. Thanks for the warmth and talk."

With those words, and not bothering to wait for more reprimanding from her concerned friend, Kagome left the kitchen and climbed the servant stairs to her small bedroom. The room was little more than a hole in the wall, being able to only hold her bed and few belongings. However, it was hers and hers alone, which made the space ever the more special and dear to the woman. Carefully she stripped off the wrinkled dress and carefully folded the cloth, placing the bundle at the foot of her bed mat.

Sighing Kagome slid beneath the heavy covers of the sheets she had made herself, closing her eyes after a hard day's work and a night of exercise. Perhaps her dreams would sooth her sore body and create a world which could only exist within her thoughts and wishes. Maybe then her knight would arrive and present her with a life full of happiness and love.

Laughing softly at her childish thoughts, Kagome smiled as she drifted off into the blessed realm of Morpheus.

* * *

Note: Voivode means warrior prince 


	2. Happenings In the Manor

A/N: Another update.

**Happenings In the Manor**

"Kagome! Kagome, wake up!"

Said girl mumbled in her sleep and rolled away from the person calling her name, refusing to rise from her comfortable bed as she hugged the single blanket closer to herself. However, the person was insistent, grabbing hold of her shoulders and roughly shaking her to full consciousness.

"Okay, okay" Kagome grumbled, slowly opening her eyes and blinking as sunlight from her small window harshly blinded her. Sitting up, she gave a sleepy smile toward Sango, the perpetrator of her rude awakening. "Hi" she greeted, covering her mouth as she yawned widely.

"No time for that" Sango insisted, standing to her feet and taking hold of the door handle. "The sun's already up and you were supposed to be cleaning the kitchen two hours ago."

"What!?" Kagome exclaimed, kicking back the blanket and rushing through her toilet.

"You're just lucky the mistress hasn't risen yet, either" Sango scolded, watching as her friend quickly prepared herself for the long work day. She led the way out of the room and into the hall, taking care to walk quietly but quickly across the wooden boards toward the kitchen.

"You know she always does that, and the master never bothers with the house" Kagome argued, though she still rushed behind her friend as they took the stairs two at a time.

"Someday you may not be so lucky, Kagome" Sango commented dryly, shaking her head as she went to her unfinished tasks. The interruption of waking the young woman had caused her to fall behind on her work, but the reward of helping a friend was well worth the lost time.

"I know" Kagome agreed reluctantly, grabbing the broom and beginning to sweep the flour-caked floor of the baking room. "I just had a wonderful dream and I didn't want to wake up."

"Really?" Sango replied absently, focusing on her bread making. She was not one so bold as to discuss personal life, except on a few rare occasions, and her friend's straightforward manner always confused her.

"Yeah" Kagome continued, undeterred by and accustomed to the cook's light tone. "I dreamed my knight in shining armor had arrived to take me away from the clutches of the mistress."

"Sounds stupid" a voice suddenly interrupted Kagome's tale, causing the women of the room to lift their heads toward the back door.

Within the stone arch stood Inuyasha with Miroku behind him, both looking with amusement at the ladies of the house.

"If the old woman hears you talking about her like that she won't wait for your knight" Inuyasha mocked with familiar gentleness, though Sango and Miroku both rolled their eyes at his teasing.

"She won't, Inuyasha" Kagome replied with a huff of annoyed breath, resuming her work and ignoring the hanyou's comment. "Besides, shouldn't you two be guarding a tree or something?" she asked, a wicked smile on her lips as Sango mimicked her triumphant friend's expression.

"Keh" Inuyasha lamely commented, moving to his favorite corner of the room and settling himself in.

"The voivode has commanded us to await his arrival from the capital" Miroku kindly explained, entering the kitchen and closing the door behind him. "Until then we are indisposed. If there is anything we can do for you ladies in the meantime..." he added, slowly sneaking up on Sango.

However, the cook was quick in her reflexes, turning and bashing his head with her rolling pin. Now was Kagome and Inuyasha's turns to roll their eyes at the houshi's hentai personality, the guard now dazed and bruised upon the stone floor. With the problem taken care of and merely a waiting game for the gentlemen, the two women continued on with their work uninterrupted. Unfortunately, their peaceful coexistence did not last long.

From the second story came the loud yelling of a women's voice, leading the four companions to turn their heads upward at the noise. All recognized the mistress' voice, much to their chagrin, and each in their own way regretted her rising from her bed. Soon their worst fears were realized as her voice grew louder, her footsteps soon heard upon the stone floor outside the kitchen. Then did the lady of the house storm into the room, her brightly colored dress a loud testament to her arrival.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Kagura questioned roughly, her eyes staring like daggers upon the small group. "I thought this house was safe with you two, but my husband is mistaken in his faith" she added, pointing an accusing finger toward the two gentlemen.

"What's wrong?" Sango asked in curiosity, though mindful to humor her mistress with a concerned tone.

"Someone has stolen some of my jewels!" Kagura exclaimed, slapping a hand violently down upon the kitchen's center table. "And I suspect one of you took them!" she accused, stomping her foot in indignation.

"Are you sure your husband hasn't taken them, my lady?" Miroku asked, careful not to vex the mistress but knowing well his words would not bring a kindly reply.

"Of course!" the lady replied, though by her tone the group could tell her faith in her accusations had faltered with the question. "He would have told me if he wanted them! Besides, what would he need them for?" she asked, a large grin of gloating triumphant on her lips.

Suddenly the rushing of horses' hooves were heard upon the entrance path to the manor, interrupting the conversation as the jingle of harnesses arrived at the front door. Kagura gave one last accusing glance toward the companions before rushing from the room, leaving an air of ire with the remaining people. However, with their previous commands Inuyasha and Miroku nodded to each other and straightened in their positions.

"See ya girls later" Inuyasha spoke as he stalked through the backdoor, not looking forward to the coming conflict with the mistress around her husband. Miroku nodded his head and gave a small wave, following his blunt companion with a close of the portal behind him.

"Well, what do you think?" Kagome asked after they had left, addressing her question to Sango as they both returned to their work.

"About what?" Sango returned, not looking up from her work as she placed the dough within the pans.

"About the jewels" Kagome commented with a disbelievingly shake of her head, wondering at the scene which had played out before them. "Do you suppose they were really taken?"

"She usually doesn't lie about those sorts of things" Sango lightly answered, preparing the brick oven for cooking. However, she halted her movements as a frown came upon her face, looking quizzically toward her friend. "Though I don't like what she was saying toward Inuyasha."

"Or Miroku?" Kagome teased, a devilish smile on her face. The bright blush on her friend's cheeks was well worth the mentioning, especially when Sango looked away in embarrassment of the insinuation.

Without any more words the two young women went about their tasks, wondering about Kagura's accusations and the missing jewels. They heard a few raised voices from outside but could not take time away from their work to appease their curiosity, especially if they were found away from their duties by the mistress. The punishment would have been severe, though they didn't have to worry about losing their positions. No one else from the surrounding countryside would have been willing to fill their roles, the lady of the manor being very unpopular with the people because of her snobbish character.

Finally the dinner hour rang and Kagome now acted as serving girl for the table, Sango assisting her with the carrying out the many plates of food. They carefully hefted the heavy meal and swiftly walked the distance to the dining room, the plates and silverware having already been set. Entering the intimidating large hall, Sango and Kagome swallowed the intimidating presence of the voivode seated at the head of the massive table and began placing the plates upon each of his sides. Their attentions were more placed at the two men standing behind the chair of their lord, Miroku and Inuyasha looking quite bored in their duties as guards to the master.

However, they could not help overhearing the conversation the master of the house was having with a strange guest and the mistress.

"When can you have them here?" Naraku asked his guest impatiently, drumming his fingers upon the wooden table. "I need them soon."

"Perhaps in a few weeks time, but only if the weather holds" the person, a young gentleman, answered.

"I don't want to hear excuses, Setsuna" Naraku coldly stated, frowning at the visitor. "Have them here by the end of a fortnight and I will pay you more than we agreed."

"You're that eager to have them? Why?" Setsuna curiously asked, his eyes alert at the voivode's eager tone.

"That is none of your concern" the host replied with a slight hint of ire in his voice, leaning back in his high-backed chair. "For now we eat and later we'll talk more" he commanded, finishing the conversation with those words.

Setsuna quietly agreed to his employers wish but watched him with a penetrating gaze, his curiosity still unabated. However, all soon turned to the meal being placed before them, ignoring the help and concentrating only on the delicious food which was pouring forth from the kitchen. Strangely enough, though, Kagura made no effort to speak to their guest, a task she hardly wished to avoid upon usual occasions. The two servant girls could only assume the mystery of the missing jewels had been solved, and not to the mistress' liking.

After an hour of serving, with many compliments from Setsuna toward Naraku for the fine food placed before him, the dishes finally began to be returned to the kitchen. Sango and Kagome were always thankful when the duty of waiting upon the table ended, though not from the act of standing and pacing back a forth between the kitchen and dining room. The air around their master was dark and uncomfortable, with the only reprieve away from the cold atmosphere could be had from the two guards behind his chair.

"Kagome" Kagura called after the meal had officially finished, tapping her long fingernails upon the table as the servant girl came to her as quickly as she was able. "Bring Kanna some of this meal but make sure she doesn't eat too much."

"Yes, ma'am" Kagome answered as she began taking the last of the dishes, inwardly sighing though hardly surprised at the new task.

Kanna was the voivode's unusual daughter, begotten by Kagura a few years after her arrival and making the girl a few years younger than Kagome. Unfortunately, the child had arrived into the world with an inclination toward little speech, either unable or unwilling to converse often with anyone. She cared little for activities outside the manor, hardly ever roaming far upon the grounds. Often she would only sit in her large room filled with all kinds of amusements, for the mistress would spoil her tremendously. Strangely she would only amuse herself with a tiny carved mirror, appearing to stare into the reflective object for hours on end.

Thus because of her refusal to leave the confines of her self-enforced prison, Kagome or Sango were often ordered to fetch a small plate of food. Occasionally Kagura would perform the task, but of late she had been adverse to the duty. The young lady of the house was particularly unwilling to remove herself from her room when a visitor arrived at the manor, never appearing before any of the guests her father invited.

"Well, off to _her_ room" Kagome spoke to Sango as she entered the kitchen, placing the dishes upon a large pile grown beside the sink. Her friend gave a knowing nod and an encouraging grin, handing her a prepared plate before the young woman exited the room and stepped out into the main hall.

With another deep sigh Kagome shook her head and began climbing the many intimidating steps of the large staircase, selfishly wishing Sango had been given the privilege of such a task. The child was not unruly, for all her mother's attempts, but she exuded an air similar to her father. The servant girls had tried several times to break the heavy and quiet space which Kanna occupied but all to no avail, the little girl remaining within her own world.

As Kagome stepped upon the second floor of the manor, thinking over the strange child, she began to wonder if she had ever heard Kanna speak. Racking her brain for a memory which would give an affirmative answer to her question, the young woman found she could not recall a single instance where the lady of the house had spoken in her presence. Shrugging her shoulders and accepting the child as forever strange, she nonetheless bent herself on coaxing the child to speak. She was not one to give up on any soul.

Arriving at the door to Kanna's room, Kagome softly knocked upon the wooden portal.

"Kanna?" she called, leaning her ear near the door in habit. She knew the child would not answer such a menial announcement, but from habit and manner she was forced to perform the task. "I've brought your dinner" she explained as she slowly opened the door, peeking inside with both curiosity and apprehension.

As expected the little girl, dressed in her usual long white dress, was found seated upon a stool in the center of the room. Within her grasp lay her inanimate friend, the mirror shining as the light of the hall penetrated the darkness of the room. By Kagura's instructions, or possibly even Kanna's, the room's large windows were covered to prevent any light from entering the bedroom. The forced darkness added to the eerie effect of the child seated like a corpse upon the chair, forcing the servant to give a great gulp of apprehension before slowly entering the room.

"Are you hungry?" she asked, stepping up to the lady and kneeling down to be even with her height. "You're mom told me to bring you some food. Do you want to try some? My friend Sango made everything herself" she coaxed, failing miserably in her efforts as the child merely continued to stare into the void of her mirror. "Well, I'll just leave it here for you to try" Kagome continued, placing the plate at the girl's feet and picking up the empty dish which lay beside. Evidently the child did possess an appetite, but not in the presence of anyone.

Standing to her feet and turning to the door, Kagome suddenly jumped as a small hand touched her arm. Startled she looked down to see Kanna staring at her, the unblinking, white eyes chilling her to the bone.

"He's coming for you" she softly spoke, causing Kagome to jump at the unexpected sound.

"C-coming for me?" Kagome repeated dumbly, almost unsure of what she had heard. "Who's coming for me?" she asked, raising a brow in question.

Unfortunately her only answer was for Kanna to drop her hand and return to staring into the mirror, apparently ignoring the question. Kagome waited for a moment, hoping to receive some sort of explanation, but was sorely disappointed when the room merely slipped back into the usual air of bleakness. Taking a single step away from the white child, she continued staring at the girl and shook her head in confusion. Then her feet took her away from that room and the solitary occupant within, leading her out into the land of noise and happiness.

Kanna certainly was a strange child.


	3. Intrigue

A/N: Later update but more words.

**Intrigue**

Kagome's expression must have revealed her inward confusion as she entered the kitchen, Sango immediately noticing a difference in her friend's disposition. Her face was slightly pale as she set an empty, dirty dish beside the sink, her mind appearing to be preoccupied as her eyes were unfocused on what lay ahead of her.

"What happened?" she asked, stopping the basting of the supper meat over the large open fire pit. "You look like someone walked over your grave."

"I don't know" Kagome slowly answered as she walked over to the single chair of the room near the fireplace, shaking her head at the mystery which now presented itself. "Kanna talked to me."

"She did what?!" Sango exclaimed in astonishment, nearly dropping her basting brush in her surprise.

"She talked to me" Kagome repeated, not believing her own words. "I was just picking up the empty dish, and she suddenly grabbed my arm and spoke."

"What did she say?" Sango curiously questioned, returning to her work while still retaining an open ear to her friend.

"She said 'he's coming for you,' or something like that. I was so surprised I wasn't really paying attention" Kagome admitted, playing the scene over in her thoughts. "I asked her what she meant but Kanna just ignored me."

"I guess we shouldn't pay attention to her too much" Sango wisely advised, setting down her brush and moving over to the vegetable bin near the backdoor. "I've always overheard Kagura saying how the girl does have an imagination. Perhaps she was just playing with you."

"I guess" Kagome answered doubtfully, sitting back and sighing. "But I wish the supper time was over with already. I haven't even begun cleaning the house" she added, standing to her feet and taking hold of her trusted broom.

"Perhaps the manor isn't as bad as usual?" Sango suggested, giving her friend a hopeful smile.

"Doubtful" Kagome replied, shaking her head and walking toward the entrance to the hall. "You know how messy the mistress can be with her room."

"True" Sango reluctantly agreed, sighing.

"Well, see you later" Kagome spoke, bidding farewell to the cook as she began her household duties.

Kagome began her work, beginning with the usual sweeping of the grand hall and staircase. She sighed at the amount of cobwebs which had returned since her last cleaning, being mindful the large spiders didn't find retribution by falling upon her head. To her enjoyment, however, the mistress of the house was absent, blissfully leaving the maid to her duties without supervision. Occasionally Kagura did perform such..support for the young woman, often giving advise which ended in disaster for a fine object in the house but which the maid could not argue against.

Finishing her work downstairs after several hours of cleaning, Kagome stood at the bottom of the staircase looking upward. The second story loomed before her, intimidating in its size and the people which resided above. She knew well the mistress was slumbering within her bedroom, as was her usual habit, and Kanna rarely left her room. However, she could not merely abstain from dusting the rooms, particularly Kagura's, as the oversight would be noticed and disapproved by the master.

"Well, here goes" Kagome stated with determination, gripping the handle of her broom tightly and beginning her ascent.

Slowly taking the steps one at a time, Kagome arrived upon the long hall as the shadows began to lengthen. The sun was beginning its downward travel across the sky as she quietly walked along the hall toward the mistress' room. She decided to clean the master's bedroom while the light lasted, Kanna's room already draped in darkness and always difficult to clean.

Stopping before the large, intricate portal of the master room, Kagome knocked loudly enough to wake the mistress. She waited patiently for an answer for a few moments, wondering if she would need to repeat the process. However, a groaning noise and the shuffling of footsteps alerted her to movement beyond the door, presently the portal opening and revealing a weary pair of eyes.

"What do you want?" Kagura mumbled sleepily, blinking against the light from the hall.

"I need to clean the room, ma'am" Kagome explained nervously, the angered face upon her mistress a foreboding to her actions. However, to the maid's surprise the lady seemed to care little the interruption to her sleep, a pained expression crossing her face.

"Not today" Kagura grumbled, one of her hands reaching up and holding her forehead. "I'm not feeling well, so return tomorrow."

"Yes, ma'am" Kagome slowly replied, nodding her head as she half-turned from the door. "Is there anything I can do? Perhaps Sango could make you some soup?"

"No, I'll be fine" Kagura spoke with a bit more of her usual firmness, almost slamming the door as she apparently returned to her slumber.

Kagome gave one final glance toward the closed portal before moving to the opposite end of the hall, knocking on the guest bedroom door. She was unsure if the visitor was residing in his room for the time, but the lack of response to her remonstrations allowed her to enter the room. Cautiously though, in fear her call was not heard, she peeked her head into the room and looked about for the man. Sighing with relief as no one was in sight, she entered the space and began dusting the cobwebs from the high ceiling. To her vexation she could not reach some of the high rafters above, forcing her to peer about for a piece of furniture to assist her work.

Fortunately Kagome's eyes fell upon the large chair behind the desk, dropping her broom with a clatter and walking over to the needed object. However, her eyes could not help but drift over the many papers which littered the top, most written in foreign languages and thus indecipherable to her limited learning. She did notice, though, a number of the letters were addressed to a province upon the other side of the forest, and mentioned the routes and paths still familiar within the woods.

To Kagome's surprise, however, a sudden banging startled her from the desk, causing her to turn around at the noise. The visitor stood in the entrance to the room, his gaze unwavering as his eyes seemed to pierce her mind. She took a step backward, bumping into the hard desk, and held the broom protectively before herself. However, after a moment the man neatly shrugged and entered the room, smiling brightly toward her. Though try as he might, the young woman still felt an unpleasant chill travel up her spine as he stood before her.

"How do you do?" Setsuna greeted, taking her smudged hand and placing a delicate kiss upon her skin. Kagome was surprised the dirt didn't repel him, lordly as he appeared in both manner and dress. "I don't believe my kind host was hospitable enough to introduce us, but did I hear the lady address you as Kagome?"

"Y-yes" Kagome stammered, silently thankful when he let go of her hand. His lips were as cold as ice while his touch unnerved her further. "And I'm only a servant, so the master wouldn't really see a need to talk about me" she explained, puzzled why the man could not understand such a simple matter of court. "Unfortunately, I haven't finished cleaning your room" she embarrassingly admitted, giving a nervous smile.

"Quite all right" he answered, nodding his head as if in understanding. "If you don't mind, could you return tomorrow? I have some work to finish and I can't be disturbed."

"Oh, yes sir" Kagome quickly replied, nodding her head as she slowly side-stepped around the strange man. She nearly rushed to the door to escape his presence, an unfamiliar feeling of loathing rising in her with each passing moment. With her hand upon the nob, though, he spoke one final thought.

"If you could kindly not look upon my papers again, I would much appreciate it" he commented with an easy tone, though Kagome could hear the threat encompassed in the words.

"Yes, sir" she obediently answered, opening the door and leaving the stifling room.

Out into the safety and fresh air of the hallway, Kagome leaned back against the wall and breathed a sigh of relief. She could not fathom how the man had known what she had unwittingly done, though she could only assume a guilty look and her location had given him enough suspicion. Her respite through her thoughts was short lived as she realized there were several more rooms to be done, not excluding Kanna's dark abode. With a heavy heart she returned to work, cleaning the many cobwebs with as much speed and thoroughness as she could produce. Within a matter of minutes, and much heavy panting, she stood once more before the white child's room.

"Why do I do this?" she asked herself aloud as she politely knocked on the door, knowing there would be no answer.

True to form silence was her only reply, forcing Kagome to open the door and proceed into the dark bedroom. Nearly tip-toeing through the shadows, she noticed the little girl sitting as she had last left her.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, but I need to clean the room. Is that alright with you?" she asked the still figure, the small friendly smile slipping off her face as the child remained quiet.

Assuming the silence did not mean a refusal, Kagome quietly dusted about room, mindful of not tripping over the small girl in her eagerness to leave the miniature domain. She now almost dreaded the child to speak, Kanna's last words eerily remaining strong in her mind. To her joy the little girl remained quiet during her work, merely staring into the mirror as was her habit. Before she left the young woman picked up the empty place where food had once lain, nodding and smiling at satisfaction toward the child. At least she would not starve herself to death.

Approaching the door, plate in one hand and the broom in another, Kagome froze as a tiny voice suddenly whispered behind her.

"He knows you."

Quickly turning around, Kagome shivered slightly as she stared at the young child peering back at her with almost soulless eyes. She opened her mouth to reply to the strange statement but no words would come out, merely a breath of air emitting from her attempt. Before she could muster enough spirit to question the girl Kanna once more sank back into her usual posture, staring into the reflection in her mirror.

Slowly backing out of the room, Kagome nearly slammed another door as she rushed down the hall and to the kitchen. Sprinting into the room, Sango raised a brow in question as she loudly and roughly placed the dish down upon the table. Her breathing was shallow and her skin was pale, the color obvious even to the maid. Her eyes were wide with fright at the incidents which had taken place, first the fright with the visitor and then the speech of the pale child.

"Kagome, sit down" Sango gently ordered, catching her friend before she collapsed to the ground as her legs buckled beneath her. "Kagome, what's wrong!" she cried out now in fear, cradling the young woman in her arms as she pushed the broom from her hand.

"I-I'm sorry, Sango" Kagome apologized, slowly sitting up and shaking her head slowly. "I...I don't know what just happened but I was terrified."

"I'll say" Sango bluntly replied, giving her friend a penetrating stare of worry. "What caused you to nearly faint?"

"The visitor startled me when I was dusting his room and...and Kanna spoke to me again" Kagome slowly explained, rubbing her temple in frustration at her overreactions. "I don't know why they bothered me so much, but they just did" she added, trying to justify her actions to both herself and her friend.

"Maybe you're just tired" Sango suggested, helping Kagome to her feet. "I did wake you up this morning."

"Yeah, maybe that's it" Kagome agreed, though only half-heartedly. "Anyway, I feel much better now" she spoke, struggling to place a real smile on her face and almost succeeding. "When should dinner be started?"

"Right now, actually" Sango answered, taking one last glance at her friend before moving back to the open fire. "The meat is almost ready to cut and the vegetables are all laid out for slicing."

"I'll do those" Kagome offered, giving a small laugh. "I would only burn the meat if I tried to use the fire."

"Sango!" a voice suddenly cried out, a young boy rushing into the kitchen and smiling widely at the two women. "What are you doing?" he asked, peering curiously at the food laid about.

"Kohaku, you can't come in here" Sango sternly scolded, stomping toward him. She grabbed her younger brother by the shoulders and turned him back around toward the door, causing Kagome to give a bit of a chuckle at the scene before her. "Besides, your supposed to be at the stables. What are you doing here?"

"I was lonely, Sango" Kohaku insisted, trying his best to gently resist his sister's pushing. "And anyway, I was just wondering what was leftover from dinner..." he added with a hint in his voice, looking about at the fresh food cooking.

Kagome smiled at the two siblings, wondering at their interaction. She knew well how Kohaku adored his older sister, probably the reason why he had come to the kitchen. They had both arrived at the manor about the time Kanna was born, the mistress insisting on a better cook for her child. Sango had taken the job while Kohaku had been given charge of cleaning the stables and keeping the horses well stocked with food.

Unfortunately for the vexed Sango, her remonstrations toward her brother and his attempted removal would have to wait. Another distraction was coming toward them, one which carried interesting news.

"You'll never guess what we found out" Inuyasha announced as Miroku and he suddenly entered the room from the grand hall.

Kagome would have been glad to see them had it not been for the third companion, Kikyo. She followed the houshi into the kitchen, her eyes peering about her in some disdain but most of her attention placed upon the hanyou.

"What is it, Inuyasha?" Kagome answered while rolling her eyes, humoring his need for attention while trying to politely ignore the priestess.

"The old man sold all of Kagura's jewels at the capital" he divulged, grinning at the mistress' misfortune. The two woman uttered a gasp of shock while Kohaku whistled in his sister's arms, grinning innocently as Sango scowled down at him. "She was ready to kill him when he told her."

"Why did he do that?" Sango asked, finally relenting and releasing her brother. However, she caught him by the collar as he attempted to go for the meat over the spit, sighing as she took a knife and cut a bit off for him. "He knows how fond she was of them. They were from her family."

"Apparently the master cared little for the mistress' feelings" Miroku chimed in, inching close to the fire. "He informed her rather bluntly of the sale and she could not force him to buy the jewels back" he added, his hand slowly creeping toward the meat.

"Miroku!" Sango scolded, slapping his hand with a wooden spoon even as Kohaku, during the distraction, managed to swipe a few pieces of vegetables off the table.

"Bye Sango!" he called out as he bolted for the door and out into the grounds, waving to all with full arms of food.

"Argh!" Sango cried out as her voice filled with fury. "Miroku, if I catch you doing that again I'll make sure you don't get a meal for a week."

"But my dear Sango, how could I enjoy your cooking if you do not let me partake of the food while it is still warm?" he asked, grinning lecherously even as she felt a hand slide up her dress.

With a wild cry, and loud laughter from all watching, Sango smacked the wooden spoon across Miroku's head. He dropped to the ground with a cry of pain, rubbing the emerging bump as the cook stood threateningly over him.

"Well, we'd better be going" Inuyasha suddenly informed, more to save his friend then for a real reason. "See you at supper" he called out as he left the room, Kikyo silently following not too far behind him and Miroku.

"What a hentai" Sango grumbled even as she went back to her tasks, trying her best to hide the slice of meat she had taken for Kohaku.

"But you didn't knock him unconscious" Kagome pointed out with a grin, even as her friend's cheeks blushed again.

"Well, we'd better be getting to work" she commented, taking the meat off the spit and cutting off large chunks for the diners.

Kagome smiled at the cook's unease at her observation but her thoughts soon wandered back to her previous adventures on the second floor, and to the arrival of Kikyo with Inuyasha. She still felt a chill course down her spine at the man standing in the doorway and Kanna's eerie words, but the appearance of the mistress' handmaiden troubles her. Often times they were not seen together within the house, the mistress sorely disapproving of the help interacting in so intimate a way, but the couple seemed to have a reason to flaunt the unspoken rule.

Perhaps there were goings on which she would have to keep careful watch over.


	4. Foolish Wanderings

A/N: A Halloween treat for those who are fond of the story and a trick for those who aren't.

**Foolish Wanderings**

Kagome sat upon her bed mat, staring absently out the open, single-pane window which looked out upon the grounds. She could hear the crickets making their song as an owl hooted in the distance, the noises soothing to her frayed nerves.

The supper had been unusual, to say the least. To everyone's shock Kanna had insisted on joining everyone at the table, foregoing her customary solitary meal. She had not partaken in the conversation of the table, even when Kagura attempted to bring her into the talk, but the child had merely stared at their guest. The guest, Setsuna, had gazed strangely at Kagome during the serving, apparently in an attempt to ignore the strange, pale child watching him.

The conversation had not drifted to the topic previously engaged in the evening before, even when Setsuna urged his host to bring the discussion to the forefront. Rather, Naraku had been silent during the meal, barely touching his food as he had scowled along the table, apparently at nothing. The air had been tense, as if a struggle of wills was being held, but no visible sign could be deciphered from the occupants of the table.

Thus the supper had ended on a sour note, no one fully enjoying the delicious meat Sango had cooked. She had grumbled in the kitchen about ungrateful employers but mentioned nothing else to Kagome about the matter. The servant girls, exhausted from their long day of work, had quietly cleaned the table and kitchen then parted ways to their respective rooms.

Now here she sat, gazing out into the darkness beyond the manor. The night now brought a calm which Kagome thoroughly enjoyed, especially as the stars were shining brightly amidst the clear sky. A large moon hung in the sky, tempting her to walk under its rays through the trees of the forest just beyond her sight.

"Why not?" she suddenly asked herself aloud, sitting straight from leaning on the small sill and nodding in affirmation.

Standing to her feet Kagome grabbed her shoes and made her way down the servant stairs to the kitchen door. Slipping on her warm, though worn jacket and her comfortable shoes she slowly opened the portal and walked into the cool, crisp air. Closing the door behind her she turned and breathed deeply, enjoying the many smells and sounds the night offered her.

With sure steps, with the moon as good as any torch, Kagome walked in the direction of the woods. She smiled as a small breeze blew past, leaves teasing her nose as the trees above her bent in command of the wind. The path she followed was well-worn with her many journeys, deep and lacking of any vegetation which may have hindered her. Upon either side the plants grew waist high, sometimes taller, and the vegetation blocked her view of the wondrous forest she was now visiting.

Arriving at the meadow she called her own, Kagome seated herself upon the cool grass and looked upward at the stars shining brightly above. Unfortunately, her thoughts of the moment were visited by the memories of the day. The short conversations she'd had with Kanna stood out most prominently, startling her from the joy of the night to the shadows which dwelled at the edge of the tree line.

Kagome could not fathom what the daughter of the house meant by her strange words, the idea of being stalked by a gentleman distressing to her. She knew of no man who even sought her body, much less one who wished her hand in marriage. The young woman believed herself plain before the likes of Kikyo and Sango, for they had gained a protector in their life while she still remained alone.

Again Kagome sat unaware of her surroundings, though the visitor which also occupied the meadows would have been unseen by all but those with a trained eye. The burning orbs watched the woman's face as she pondered the daily proceedings, the gaze shifting about her body in anticipation.

Sighing deeply, Kagome suddenly froze in her thoughts as the sound of a twig snapping came to her ears. She sharply turned toward the noise, her eyes wide in fright. To her relief the form of the manor guest quickly stepped forth from the shadows, a wide, apologetic smile on his face.

"I am deeply sorry for my quiet entrance" he spoke, realizing he had startled the young woman from her attentions and bowing in embarrassment himself. "But Lady Kagome, what brings you out here?" he asked, motioning toward the dark surroundings. "It is late and I have heard that there is much danger within these woods.

"They don't scare me" Kagome explained, giving the guest a small smile as she quickly climbed to her feet. Though he had apologized for his actions, Setsuna's smiling face appeared almost ghostly in the light of the moon. "Is there anything you need?" she questioned, for the moment forgetting where they stood as the words were habitual toward any of the house's guests.

"Do you often ask strangers why they wander the forests at night?" Setsuna pondered aloud with a laugh, walking before her as his eyes stared about them. "I enjoy the night, as much as it frightens others. Besides, there are other matters which bring me here" he added, turning his full attention to the servant girl. "But what brings you here to this secluded area? Not to clean rooms, I suppose?" he teased, grinning.

"No, I certainly am not" Kagome retorted, for a moment forgetting her place. She slapped a hand over her mouth but was too late to return her words, her eyes wide in surprise at her actions.

However, Setsuna seemed unaware of her outburst, his attentions turned toward the many branches of trees gently swaying in the breeze. His eyes were narrowed as his hand settled firmly upon the hilt of a sword at his hip, his stance becoming rigid in readiness. The young servant looked uneasily at the weapon, having not noticed the long blade before.

"Is something wrong?' Kagome asked, stepping warily away from the armed man.

"I thought I heard something" Setsuna answered, looking around them suspiciously. He strode a few feet from the young woman, attempting to penetrate the forest gloom. "Hello" he called, receiving no reply to his greeting. "Is anyone there?"

The only answer to his callings were the crickets about the meadow, chirping uninterrupted while the couple's anxieties only increased. Kagome peering futilely into the darkness of the woods, wondering if the noise had not been the guest's imagination. After a moment of nothing she sighed and shook her head, looking to Setsuna in suspicion and anger. The night was now ruined for her as the peace of the evening evaporated with her rising fear of the darkness.

"Very funny" she sarcastically commented, stomping past the guest as she strode down the path.

Setsuna slowly relaxed his stance, though his hand remained settled upon the hilt of his sword. He looked one last time into the darkness as he turned to follow the young woman back to the manor, not doubting the noise he had heard was not one made by the nature which surrounding him.

The sound had resembled a growl of sorts, similar to those he had heard wolves make upon the high mountains of the wild country. He well knew the beasts did not occupy the territory around Naraku's lands, but he would not admit a mistake in the noise which had fallen on his ears after his entrance into the meadow. Unfortunately, there was no way to validate his claims as the moon's light was not bright enough to venture a journey into the unknown depths of the woods. Forced to flee from the challenge and mystery which had presented itself, Setsuna vowed to himself to return the following day and investigate the strange meadow.

The couple did not notice as a tall shadow followed their path, striding silently behind them.

Kagome ignored the man following her, knowing she was being rude to the master's guest but uncaring as he had humiliated her with his foolishness. Stepping up to the kitchen door in righteous indignation, she grabbed hold of the handle and pushed forward.

To Kagome's horror, the door did not budge.

Cursing herself for her stupidity, and swallowing the pride which had arisen in her, she turned to Setsuna to gain his assistance in her dilemma. To her great disappointment the gentleman, in her time of need, had disappeared. Taking a step away from the door she looked around anxiously, biting her lip as she could not find any sign of the guest. Then her hands settled on her hips as she tapped her foot angrily on the ground, annoyed at the man's abandonment of her without even so much as a farewell.

Then did Kagome hear the front door of the manor quietly open, apparently the guest having been given a master key to use at his own discretion. Sprinting around to the front of the house she sought to catch Setsuna's attention before the portal was shut. Unfortunately her luck remained poor as a slam was heard when she had only reached the front bushes of the large structure. Slowly stopping she merely stood in place and pondered her predicament. There was no other way available to enter the manor.

Sighing, Kagome resigned herself to sleeping outside for the night, knowing any noise on her part to alert Sango would merely awaken the master and cause her termination. Naraku would have no one interrupt his sleep nor did he care the slightest for any of the servants, nor anyone else for that matter. Stalking to the side of the home she turned her steps toward the stables at the far end of the lane which stretched across the front of the manor. She would at least be warm amidst the animals, and would have Kohaku for company.

Muttering to herself about the stupidity of males and negligence, the young woman trudged onward. However, on the footpath which led to the stables Kagome suddenly stopped in unease. The nocturnal noises about her had suddenly ceased, leading to an unnatural silence. Then a noise behind her, as though a heavy foot had fallen upon the dirt path, fell upon her ears. She slowly turned to look over her shoulder, her form quivering in fright.

To her horror a tall figure stood along the path a mere few yards from her position. The person was still, unmoving but for the long cloak they wore which fluttered in the small breeze.With a gasp she looked forward and began sprinting the short distance left to the stables, hear ears listening for any sign of following. To her dismay she could hear the fluttering of cloth as the figure swiftly overtook her steps, on her heals as she came within view of the short structure.

"Kohaku!" she screamed, hoping to alert the boy to her predicament as she felt a cold hand hover over the shoulder.

To Kagome's relief the door to the stable entrance opened, revealing a sleepy Kohaku who rubbed his drowsy eyes. He looked quizzically at the young woman as she slammed into him, causing them both to fall onto the straw floor of the animal building.

"Kagome, get off!" he shouted beneath her, struggling to push off the heavier girl.

Kagome pulled herself off the squirming boy with an apologetic expression, her eyes quickly darting to the open door. To her confusion, though, no threatening presence stood in the doorway.

"Where did he go?" she almost whispered to herself as Kohaku stood to his feet, looking strangely at the young woman.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, rousing Kagome from her thoughts.

"Hunh? Oh, no one" she answered, shaking her head and slowly standing to her feet. She reluctantly tore her gaze from the open door and turned to the youth, smiling forcibly. "Could I stay here tonight? I kinda locked myself out of the house" she embarrassingly mentioned, scratching the back of her head in nervousness.

"Sure" Kohaku agreed, grinning widely at the company. "But Sango's not gonna be happy when she hears about this" he added, walking over and preparing a patch of straw for his guest.

"Yeah, I can't wait for tomorrow" Kagome answered, though her head slowly turned toward the door.

She settled her hand on the wooden portal and looked into the darkness of the night, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. The crickets chirped and the night birds called out their triumphs and failures in the search for prey. No sign was left of the strange figure she had seen along the path, not even a footprint upon the hardened ground.

Perhaps the night air was not so good for her as she had supposed.


	5. Hollow Demands

A/N: Connected to the internet and giving an update.

**Hollow Demands**

Kagome was awoken rather rudely the next morning by an incessant nudging on her back. She tried to brush away whomever was causing the disturbance to her rest, her hand swiping over something wet and hard. Startled she let out a soft yell of surprise and her eyes shot open, revealing the culprit of her forced waking.

One of the numerous horses was pressing against her, obviously perturbed at her lack of attention for his food needs. For a moment Kagome blinked in bewilderment, unsure what had happened which had caused her to end her night in the stable. The memories, though, returned with swiftness and her head shot toward the windows, wondering at the time of day. Sunlight filtering through the dusty panes allowed her to breath a sigh of relief as she looked about for Kohaku, wondering where the stable boy had gotten to.

The crowing of a cock near the building, however, alerted Kagome to the late hour. She rushed to her feet and out the stable door, knowing she was once more late in starting her duties. The young woman made a loud commotion as she entered the house through the kitchen's portal, Sango looking up from her work in first shock then disapproval as her friend passed by in a hurried streak. The responsible cook shook her head in both dismay and amusement as the clattering of brooms was heard from the closet, the late woman having apparently stumbled and caused all of the cleaning supplies to topple down upon her head.

"Ouch!" was heard as Kagome stepped poorly on a fallen handle and nearly twisted her ankle coming out of the large closet. She hastily kicked back the remaining supplies and slammed the door, slumping her back upon the heavy wood as she gave herself some time to breath. "Why can't I ever wake up early enough?" she bemoaned, rubbing her temple with her free hand.

"Maybe you shouldn't sleep in the stables very often" Sango gently scolded, rolling out dough in her hands as she looked to her friend with a curious glance.

"Kohaku told you already?" Kagome asked, giving a deep sigh at her embarrassing secret revealed.

"He actually got me up this morning to tell me the news" her friend informed her, smiling at the memory. "And you have straw stuck in your hair" she added, almost laughing aloud as a horrified look crossed Kagome's face.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" the cleaning girl questioned with some ire as she sought without aid of a mirror to dispatch all of the straw from her head.

"You didn't give me any time" Sango countered as she began to place the dough within large baking pans, her work nearly complete for the morning as her companion's had yet to start. "Besides, what made you sleep out in the stables of all places?"

"I accidentally locked myself out" Kagome sheepishly admitted, a slight blush of embarrassment appearing on her cheeks.

"Yes, but Kohaku thought you seemed frightened by something" her friend spoke, dropping her work as she turned her searching eyes upon Kagome. "What happened last night?" she pleaded, her eyes soft as she waited for an answer to her question.

Kagome sighed as Sango looked upon her with a penetrating stare, trying herself to comprehend why she had become so frightened. She was so sure last night she had seen a figure upon the path behind her, but now in the daylight her fears appeared childish. The shifting moonlight and her own overactive imagination could have conjured up such a person, and her panic at being locked out had merely bolstered the horror she felt. However, regardless of her embarrassment her friend was waiting patiently for an honest answer.

"I...I thought I saw someone behind me standing on the path" Kagome finally admitted, shaking her head ruefully at how foolish her words seemed. "I guess I just overreacted and let my imagination run away with me."

"You don't sound so sure about the person being a figment of your thoughts" Sango bluntly pointed out, folding her arms across her chest. "Can you recall what the person looked like?" she inquired, possibly hoping to gain some further insight into the adventure of last night.

"No" the servant girl responded, regretfully shaking her head in the negative. "They were wearing a hood and cloak, and it was too dark to see their face." Then her eyes suddenly lit up as she remembered where she had first seen the figure, their feet planted upon the soft ground of the path. "Maybe their footprints are still out there!" she eagerly suggested, dropping her broom and rushing to the door.

"Kagome!" her older friend yelled, dropping her own work and quickly following Kagome.

Kagome stopped upon the center of the path, about where she had supposed the person had stood. Frantically she looked about for any signs of the figure, her face filled with both excitement at the hunt and the fear somebody had stalked her walk down the dirt way. Sango soon joined her in both their eyes scouring the muddy ground for the stranger. Unfortunately, the servant girl's face became downcast as their search produced no fruit, the path bare but for the footprints of Kagome's journeys during the night and morning, and Kohaku's rush to tell Sango the news about his unexpected guest.

Sango's eyes turned upward to look at Kagome as the servant girl refused to cease the hunt, her eyes tearing over the ground in almost a state of madness. The cook sighed deeply and shook her head, her hand falling heavily upon the younger woman's shoulder with finality.

"Kagome, nothing's here" Sango slowly spoke, her voice quiet as she gazed at her friend with worried eyes.

For a long moment after Sango's words Kagome neither spoke nor moved, her eyes facing the ground with a haunted look within their depths. Then her shoulders slumped and she turned her face away from her friend, her body tense with anger at herself but weary from her overactive imagination.

"So I imagined it?" Kagome whispered, hugging her arms to herself. "There really wasn't anyone waiting for me?"

"Waiting for you?" Sango repeated, a quizzical expression on her face. "Kagome, what are you talking about? Was someone supposed to be here last night?"

"No, it's nothing" the servant girl responded, her face lifting up to reveal a few last tears streaming down her cheeks. "Just some wishful thinking and a dream turned into a nightmare, that's all."

"Are you sure?" her friend questioned, unconvinced even as Kagome wiped the last of her tear drops from her eyes.

"Well, there's a lot of work we should be doing" Kagome evasively responded, giving her friend a final smile before turning and rushing back to the house.

Sango stuck her arm out, as if trying to catch her vanished companion, but she quickly retracted the appendage. Shaking her head and forcing a smile upon her face, she followed Kagome's steps back into the kitchen. There would be a time when Kagome would feel the need to reveal her thoughts, and for now she could wait patiently.

Unfortunately, the wait involved facing a depressed Kagome. For the remainder of the day the servant girl slowly plodded along in her work, sighing between intervals of scrubbing and sweeping. Occasionally Sango caught her standing in the center of a room and staring into the distance, which forced the cook to push her along to finish the required chores. At supper she seemed to be oblivious to her surroundings, even Setsuna had difficulties catching her attention for a refill on his glass. Miroku, during his usual daily visitation of Sango, noted the servant girl's strangely quiet demeanor.

"Is Kagome quite all right?" he asked Sango after the meal when Kagome had gone to clean the dining hall, his tone worried as he stared at the door she had departed through.

"I don't know" Sango replied with a sigh, shaking her head and managing an oven full of bread for the following day. "She doesn't want to talk about it, but the way she's acting has me worried."

"Perhaps we should ask Inuyasha to ask Kagome what is the matter" the monk suggested, staring at the sight of Sango bent over the oven.

"I suppose" the cook conceded, quickly turning around to find the lecherous man swiftly shifting his eyesight toward the ceiling. "Don't try anything funny, monk" she threatened, brandishing a long, wooden spoon in her hand.

"How could you say such things?" Miroku asked, feigning innocence as he stepped up to his companion. "Have I not been faithful?" he wondered aloud, wrapping a hand around her waist as he pulled her closer to him.

Sango felt as his hand crawled along her backside, her face changing from an embarrassed blush to a bright color of anger as her spoon connected with Miroku's skull. The monk dropped in pain upon the hard, stone floor, twitching at the rising bruises but grinning like a fool at having conquered her body for another day.

Kagome, hearing the commotion even from across the entrance hall, smiled for a moment at her friends' antics. Unfortunately her cheery mood lasted for a mere few seconds as she shook her head and went on to finish with her chore of sweeping the dining hall. When her last bit of work had been completed she returned to the kitchen, giving Sango an excuse of fatigue and retiring to bed with a candle in hand.

An early storm had appeared in the afternoon and was even now coming to a climax as thunder cracked overhead, disavowing her from a refreshing walk in the night air. Sighing one last time, she entered her small bedroom and prepared herself for sleep. She heard Sango upon the hall not a few minutes afterward, the cook's steps hesitating for a moment at her door before proceeding further down to her own room. She waited for several minutes, until she was sure her friend had slipped into sleep before moving and finishing her toilet. The servant girl then settled herself down upon on her knees as she turned toward her small window.

"What am I doing to myself?" Kagome whispered to herself, staring out upon the grounds with soft, sad eyes. "I'm lying to my friends and Kagura is going to yell at me when she sees the poor job I did today with my work" she said, her eyes growing more downcast with each word. Thunder seemed to shake the manor as the rain pelted down upon the glass pains, urged on by the gusty winds. She shook her head sadly and stifled the tears which begged to come. "Maybe dreams don't come true. Even if I did think my true love came to me last night, he certainly didn't act the part" she mused, shaking her head in amusement at her childish thoughts. "Well, another day done and another chance to meet him" she spoke with a hopeful but dubious tone, expecting the worse even as she lay down upon her mat.

Unfortunately for the tired servant, Kagome's head had barely touched her pillow when a loud knock was heard echoing in the hall. She rolled over and allowed a muffled sigh into her pillow as her face lay buried in the cloth, her mind telling her to fulfill her duties and answer the bidding of the knock. Groaning she grudgingly stood from her comfortable bed and shuffled toward her door, taking care not to move too quickly as to punish the guest for their late hour call.

"They can wait" she muttered, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes as she made her way down the hall toward the center of the house.

In keeping with her pattern Kagome opted to bypass the faster route through the kitchen and instead aimed her steps to the family sleeping quarters. A secret door had been built between the two separate portions of the house, allowing the family an alternate way of escape in case fire were to begin on the opposite side of the house and the stairs were not accessible. Kagura had repeatedly asked for the removal of the portal, regardless of its beneficial reason for existence, but her calls had so far gone unheeded.

Kagome now thanked the master for ignoring the mistress' demands as she came to the end of the servant hall, her hands groping for the small latch upon the door which released the lock keeping the portal in place. With a small cry of relief she heard the mechanism give and the door swung toward her on its small hinges, allowing her quick passage into the main sleeping quarters. Quietly she stepped through and closed the wood behind her, tiptoeing past the master bedroom as she finally arrived at the stairs.

Kagome had barely proceeded down the first few steps, however, when she ducked down between the thick, numerous bannisters as she suddenly heard footsteps below her position. She watched from her hidden perch upon the stairs as a male entered the main hall from below her position, his steps quickly taking him to the front door. The hallway he had left, which was located just on the right of the massive front stair, led to the quarters for the guest's servants. Apparently the man who now stepped toward the door had been unimpressed with her slow response to answer the calls, his patience grown short enough to become the greeter of the manor himself to rectify the knocking guest.

The servant, who was undoubtedly one of Setsuna's, quickly strode to the door and slowly opened the portal a crack, his eyes peering out into the darkness.

"Yes?" Kagome heard the man ask, his word polite but his voice haughty. "Who calls at this hour?"

Kagome waited for what felt like a long moment, expecting to hear a reply from the guest. Strangely, the servant merely turned on his heals and proceeded to the dining hall, leaving the door slightly ajar. The servant girl watched in perplexity as the man opened the door and bowed, then announced himself to whomever was present within the room.

"My apologies, my lords, but a guest has come who wishes to speak with the master of the house" the manservant informed, bowing regretfully.

"What is the meaning of this?" Kagome suddenly heard someone demand, the girl recognizing the voice of her master. "Take the fool's message and tell him to leave."

"He will not leave" the servant answered, his voice quivering from the angry tone of the lord. "And he wishes to speak directly with you" he added, leading Kagome to wonder why she had not heard their conversation only a few moments before.

Kagome forgot her worries, though, when Naraku presented himself by brushing past the male servant and stalking toward the door, his eyes narrowed and dangerous. With Setsuna quickly trailing behind, the servant girl could only assume they had been engaged in a nighttime conference. The servant quickly dashed ahead of the two gentlemen, his hand quickly grasping the door handle as he opened the portal for a full view of the visitor. Kagome's eyes widened at the sight revealed.

A tall stranger stood upon the threshold of the doorway, their figure imposing upon the step as rain poured down behind them. The person wore a long cloak which covered every part of their body while a hood lay over their head, obscuring any view of the face. Kagome would have mourned the drops of water dripping upon the floor from the person's wet body, but she was too entrapped by the figure's presence to care. Straining to see the person's face, the only visible parts seen by the young woman were a few loose strands of white hair, soaked from the rain and hanging limp down the visitor's chest.

Naraku also appeared affected by the stranger's appearance, no words coming to him as Setsuna and he merely gazed at the figure before them. However, the mood was not long in lasting as his brows crashed down in ire and he stepped boldly up to the gentleman.

"Who disturbs my house at this time of night?" the manor master questioned, appearing as unable to view the guest's face as Kagome as he took a careful step forward. "State your name and business quickly or leave."

"My name is unimportant, but your servant girl has been trespassing upon my lands" the stranger bluntly informed, his voice cool, deep and regal against Kagome's ears.

"What lands and which servant girl?" Naraku asked, his voice testy and his words spoken in haste. "I do not have time for generalities with a nameless stranger upon my doorstep."

"I have heard her called by the name of Kagome, and she has traveled in the woods beyond the village several times" the figure answered, his information chilling the said servant girl to her very bones.

"What proof do you have of ownership?" she heard her master argue with an equally harsh tone, apparently not amused at the arrival of the impudent stranger. Kagome knew Naraku had always claimed the title for the lands himself, though no deed had ever been seen. "And for what damage have you disturbed my night? Surely a landowner has no worries about a peasant girl trespassing" he spoke in a mocking tone, apparently ridiculing the stranger's proclaimed injustice by her own actions.

Kagome clamped her hand over her mouth to stifle her gasp as the stranger's head suddenly tilted upward toward her hidden position, shining red eyes piercing into her own with hateful intensity. She hastily crawled backwards, eliminating both his view of her and her sight of him, though the sight remained burned into her memory.

"Even the smallest creature may reveal itself to be a threat" the visitor lectured, his voice still carrying to the servant girl. "As for the lands, it is enough to know they are mine by right of noble bloodline."

"Then how do you propose the matter to be solved?" Naraku questioned, his eyes holding suspicion toward the self-proclaimed nobleman. "Should I believe your word and allow you to take what you want, or merely leave you to nature's elements to see fit her will with your pathetic self?"

Kagome stiffened as she waited for an answer from the stranger, quivering at the thought of being taken, possibly through force, by this less than endearing man. Thus her ears were so focused on listening to the conversation before her that the small shadow which crept up to her went unnoticed.

"What are you doing?" a soft voice whispered beside Kagome's ear.

The servant started and her head snapped to her left in the direction of the voice, forcing her to come face to face with Kanna. The little girl, pale even in the darkness, stared unblinkingly at Kagome as the elder's chest heaved wildly from the scare. She wore a white nightgown and was strangely without her usual mirror, her hands eerily empty of her reflective companion.

"It is too soon" was all the girl would reply, one of her hands reaching out and taking gentle hold of Kagome's own fingers. "Come" she softly ordered, pulling her up the stairs to the second story hall.

"But..." Kagome briefly argued, her eyes looking to the gentlemen standing in the doorway.

"Father will not allow his request" Kanna reassured, leading her left toward the master bedroom. A noise from the large suite ceased any further disagreements from the servant girl. "Mother is waking" the little girl informed, an answer to her silent question as they soon arrived at the hidden door. "Go" was all the short mistress would say as she released her companion's hand and began retracing their steps back down the passage.

Kagome, without bothering to look back, opened the secret panel and stepped through. Closing the door behind her, the voice of her elder mistress was heard upon her ears as apparently she had discovered her daughter wandering the halls. The servant girl waited for both their steps to die out in the distance before moving to her own bedroom, her legs collapsing beneath her as she fell upon her mat. She stared into space, futilely attempting to comprehend what had taken place between the gentlemen's conversation and Kanna's strange words.

One thought which Kagome understood, her dream of a knight in shining armor coming to take her away was quickly becoming a nightmare.


	6. Curiosity and the Cat

A/N: Another day, another chapter.

**Curiosity and the Cat**

Kagome barely slept the rest of the night, her nerves shot and her mind utterly confused. Her thoughts kept incessantly wandering back to the conversion which had concerned her and the strange visitor, where she had been accused of trespassing. The payment he had asked for, the one Kanna had alluded to would be refused, tortured her mind. She desperately wanted to know what was requested, but the consequences were a problem. The young woman had no idea where her curiosity would lead her, or even if what she found would be worth the trouble.

Kagome sighed and rolled off her mat, preparing herself for another tiresome day of housecleaning. She only occasionally wondered what a different life would mean, one far away from the chores and the mansion. The excitement of the past few days, with the figure on the path, the new guest in the meadow, the arrival of another stranger the previous night and Kanna's unusual behavior, had made her wonder what more she could have in this life. With all her friends happy in their relationships, she felt left out of their own happiness.

"I need to do something else" Kagome murmured to herself as she looked at her image in the small mirror upon the wall. The black lines beneath her lines showed her lack of sleep, while the pale skin revealed the stress she had been under of late. "Maybe gardening wouldn't be so bad?" she half-joked, doing her best to look less frightening.

Sango, unfortunately, still noticed her friend's haggard appearance as Kagome walked into the kitchen, her brows crashing together in disapproval. She assumed the young woman had stayed up too late reading or watching the stars, as were her usual habits. However, the maid's quiet attitude disturbed her and she finally prodded the younger woman, inquiring about the previous night.

Kagome, unable to keep a secret from her well-wishing friend, recounted the strange tale. When she had finished, Sango paused in her soup preparations, her sharp knife poised over a defenseless carrot.

"Kagome, are you sure you weren't just having a nightmare?" Sango finally asked after a long moment of silence, her voice doubtful at the strange story.

"Positive" Kagome affirmed, slightly pouting at her friend's lack of faith. "Everything was too real to be fake" she explained, the choice of words causing the cook to smile.

"Well, if you did see all those things, what now?" the serious woman asked, going back to her work.

"I have to find out what he said" the young woman insisted, her mind wracking itself for any ideas. Her face brightened up as a thought struck her thoughts, creating a glimmer of hope for answers. "Maybe Kanna knows!" she exclaimed, turning to Sango for approval. "Maybe she can tell me what the man said!"

"How do you know the visitor was a guy?" Sango questioned, her words leading to more confusion for Kagome.

"Well, I really don't know..." her friend answered after a pause, her face scrunching up in concentration. "He just let off some sort of...feeling" she explained, knowing how foolish her description sounded.

"Now that you know who you have to talk to, how are you going to do it?" Sango questioned, her hands busy as she talked. "The mistress won't exactly agree to you seeing her daughter for such a strange reason."

"I'll ask her if I can deliver Kanna's supper" Kagome suggested, nodding her head in approval.

"And if she asks why you want to do it?" her friend countered, shaking her head in slight disappointment. "If you lie to her and she finds out, she might not let you deliver Kanna's meals another time."

A sudden meowing and numerous scratching upon the back door distracted Kagome from her response as the women swiftly turned to the portal, both surprised at the sound. The two friends then looked to each other in wonderment, both curious about what unfortunate creature had found its way to the back door of the inhospitable manor. Sango set her carving knife down and walked over to the door, her hand grabbing the knob as she opened the wooden door in curiosity. Both women jumped as a light tan blur shot into the room, a distinct purring being emitted from its tiny form.

"A cat?" Sango asked questionably, peering about to find where the creature had gone. "The mistress won't be happy about this one."

"Where do you think it went?" Kagome asked, herself searching for the beast as she looked under the table and chairs. "And did you notice something...odd, about its tail?" she added, remembering the appendage being unusually large for a cat.

"Perhaps we'd surprised the cat and it had acted in self defense by raising its fur" the other woman suggested, hesitantly closing the door in the hopes the beast would soon come back through. "I thought I saw it run out of the kitchen, but I can't be sure" her friend replied though her voice now sounded dubious. "And the thing ran so fast..." she trailed off, joining in the hunt for the elusive feline as she looked into the open pantry.

"We have to find it, Sango" the young maid informed, her mouth biting her lip in worry. "What if Kagura finds it? She might kill it!"

"We can't worry about that now" Sango firmly replied, her own face revealing her distress as she went back to her chopping block. "If we start looking the mistress will find the poor thing. And weren't you going to ask her for a favor?" she reminded, taking up her knife and beginning anew the food preparations.

"But I thought you weren't going to approve of my plan" Kagome pointed out, setting her hands on her hips in slight annoyance.

"Tell her you thought Kanna might enjoy your company" Sango teased, earning a laugh from her friend. "Or just flatter the mistress. She'll say yes to anything after that."

Unfortunately, Kagome's plan appeared to have hit a complication even before she started. The mistress' mood was dark as she heard yelling from upstairs and the familiar sound of furniture being upturned, the loudest voice recognizable as the mistresses' own. Apparently the guest had left some time late last night, concluding the meeting with the lord of the house in poor fashion. Naraku had taken some of his anger out upon his wife, leaving her normally sour disposition in worse shape. The effect was that the young woman could not ask to bring Kanna her food, nor did she even dare broach the subject as all within the house avoided the screaming lady for the rest of the day.

Kagome wondered what had caused the guest, Setsuna, to leave so suddenly. She could only assume the visit from the stranger the previous night could have caused such a hasty retreat, which now confirmed what the young woman had witnessed upon the stairs the said evening. Unfortunately, she still held no answers and now more questions as the day slipped into dusk, allowing for her mind to turn elsewhere. She could only hope Kagura would be in such a foul mood as to ignore her daughter and allow the young maid the privilege of serving the child.

Kagome stood at the usual place at the table as Sango and she watched the master and mistress eat their supper in the early evening. Her body nearly quivered in fear and hope as the meal drew to its close, the silence oppressive as the four occupants remained mute. The two bodyguards were strangely absent during the supper, their whereabouts unknown as they had not entered the kitchen any time during the day.

Kagome looked to Sango for some answer to their disappearance, her shoulder nudging toward their empty space behind the master's chair, but her friend could only shake her head in confusion. Apparently Miroku had not told her about any departure, and the young maid noticed the distinct strain on the cook's face at the boys' appearance. The two women had also failed to find their feline intruder, regardless of the maid's search through the house during her routine cleaning, and both now worried the poor creature had become trapped somewhere in one of the rooms.

"Kagome" Kagura suddenly spoke, startling the said girl from her roaming thoughts.

"Yes, ma'am?" she answered, more out of habit than any conscious response. The young woman had not even noticed Naraku had left the room, leaving only the three women to themselves. "What can I do for you?"

"Take Kanna her food, and be quick about it" she harshly instructed, standing and abandoning what remained on her plate.

"Yes ma'am" Kagome now responded with more enthusiasm, watching as Sango prepared a plate for the young mistress.

Kagura left the room, not even bothering to inspect the food which was to be brought to her daughter, and Kagome was relieved when her presence vanished with her poor attitude. Sango silently finished the plate and handed Kagome the meal, winking as she pushed her encouragingly out of the room. The maid smiled and made her way to the child's room, her stomach slowly progressing into knots. She was not sure how she would go about the discussion, or even if Kanna would cooperate at all in answering her question. She had little time to prepare, however, as the journey seemed unusually short and she soon arrived at the door.

Kagome gulped, gathered together her nerves, and quietly knocked on the door. She expected, and received, no answer, as was the usual custom, and entered into the child's room. The delivery maid closed the door quietly behind herself, the noise distinctly echoing in the chamber she had just stepped into, and turned to face the tiny mistress. Surprisingly Kanna was not in her customary chair, and the young woman peered around the area searching for her target.

"So you have come" a voice suddenly spoke behind Kagome, startling her enough to jump and turn around in mid air.

Kanna stood before the door, within her hands her only companion, the mirror. She wore her usual clothes, a soft white and gray dress, which suited her pale complexion. Kagome fumed over the surprise, breathing heavily with the remaining fright.

"Don't do that!" she unconsciously scolded, her mouth slapping over her hand too late. Fortunately the plate in her other hand had not spilled everywhere, so the meal was not ruined. "Hello, Kanna" the young woman greeted in a tired but amused voice, smiling at the ghostly child. "I've brought you your supper" she offered, holding out the plate to the girl.

The child, however, ignored the food, her eyes boring into Kagome's with unflinching consistency. She tightly held her mirror, the only friend of the secluded girl, and appeared to have a hint of a smile upon her lips. The young woman held out the plate for a few long moments, wondering what she should do, when the child suddenly walked past her and toward her chair. The maid turned and watched her seat herself upon the short piece of furniture, the air charged with a feeling she could not place.

"Um, Kanna?" Kagome hesitantly spoke, stepping toward the child and setting the plate upon the ground near the chair. "Can I ask you a question?" she inquired, kneeling down next to the mistress. To her vexation the girl remained silent, her face titled down as she looked into her mirror. "It's about last night."

To Kagome's surprise she received a reaction, albeit one of limited scope. Kanna's mouth noticeably turned upward in a knowing smile, though her eyes remained as dull as before. The maid was encouraged, however, by the pleasing expression and pressed forward.

"Can you tell me what the man at the door was going to ask your father?" she questioned, looking between the child and the mirror. For some strange reason the two held her fascination tonight, though she could not fathom why. "You said your father was going to refuse whatever the man asked" she pressed, hoping for some answer.

Suddenly a loud hissing sound was heard from the other side of the room, across from where Kagome knelt. She looked over Kanna, confused about the noise, when the cat from the morning leapt out of the curtains which surrounded the room. The young woman was stunned to glimpse two distinct tails, the tips of which were ringed with black. The cat had dark pads and ears with a diamond marking on its forehead and was light tan in color. Its red eyes stared back in interest toward the maid, the tails twitching in curiosity.

"Well, hello" Kagome greeted, standing to her feet and attempting to move closer.

Unfortunately, as she stepped forward the cat sprang up and sprinted past with a speed too fast for her to catch. Kagome turned just in time to see the creature slip through the open door, a feat which caught her eyes as strange since she remembered closing the portal. The thought was pushed aside, though, as the young woman raced toward the opening and into the hallway, effectively colliding with someone standing outside.

"I'm sor-" Kagome began, only to choke on her word as she realized who she had collided with.

Master Naraku stood before her, his intimidating presence nearly overwhelming her into fright. Kagome froze as she stared upward into his dull orbs, the look in his eyes startling her into near submission. She'd never seen such unabashed hatred and lust, both vying to consume his attention. The sight made her quiver, her body visibly shaking as she fought to keep some semblance of control.

"I-I'm s-sorry" she nearly whimpered, side-stepping his person and rushing down the hall.

For a long moment as she sped past the numerous doors, her feet furiously pounding the ground,, Kagome expected the master to follow her path. Thankfully she heard nothing behind herself as she turned the corner and raced down the stairs, her eyes darting to and fro in search of the furry intruder. The way the creature had acted in the doorway, the young woman had the sense the cat wanted her to follow it somewhere.

Kagome's face lit up in a smile as she noted two tails drift through the open front door. She barely had time to register how strange it was for the portal to be open before she found herself outside in the yard, the cat at the entrance to the path which led to the forest. Here the young woman hesitated for a moment, her mind unsure at the utter darkness of the moonless night. She had little time to decide whether following the cute beast would be a wise idea, as the door would surely be locked before she came back, when the cat suddenly dashed into the woods.

Without another thought Kagome resolutely nodded her head and sped off after the creature, the cat's fur the beacon which she followed through the dark night. She was swiped by branches and brush as she recklessly allowed herself to be led along the path, the pace quick and trying. The young woman thought she would collapse before they arrived at the clearing, but her energy stayed with her and they soon reached the opening in the trees.

Kagome stopped and bent over, breathing heavily as her eyes scanned the area. She saw the cat bound across the meadow toward a small person on the other side, a cry of joy heard as the creature jumped into the figure's arms. The young woman regained her air and stood, stepping toward the stranger in both apprehension and curiosity. She soon realized the other occupant of the woods was a young girl, about the age of eight. The child wore a simple-patterned dress which barely reached past her knees, while her dark hair was pulled up in a pony tail on one side of the back of her head.

Kagome walked closer, catching the attention of the young girl. The maid was relieved when the child smiled warmly at her approach, the unusual cat in one hand and a bouquet of flowers in the other. She returned the expression, her movements more assured as she quickly sought to eliminate the distance between them. The young woman, however, stopped dead in her tracks as the dark air around the child began to change.

A shadow suddenly rose from behind the little girl, the dark shape terrifying in its familiarity to Kagome as she took a step back in fright. The figure was the same from the horrific night upon the path, when she had been stalked by the harrowing darkness. The young woman looked to the child, pleading with her eyes for her to run, but the girl remained oblivious to the danger.

Kagome, unwilling to let the child be taken by the dark figure, steeled herself and rushed toward the girl. She was within a few feet when she was suddenly stopped by some invisible hand, freezing her to the ground where she stood. The young woman opened her mouth to cry out to the child but her attention was captured by two red eyes emerging from the darkness, the orbs burning into her own with heated intensity.

Kagome's eyes widened as she recognized the cloaked figure which exited from the shadows. The stranger from the previous night now stood between her and the little girl, their person imposing even within the open area of the meadow. The young woman could feel her heartbeat increase as the person stepped around the girl and closer to herself, her legs still unable to move her to safety.

"Rin" the figure spoke, although Kagome had the strange impression the person had not actually used words. The girl looked up at the obvious call of her name, smilingly widely. "Leave us."

"But Sesshoumaru-sama" the girl warmly protested, standing to her feet with the cat at her side. "The nice lady wants to play with Rin."

The figure stilled for a moment, as if in decision, while Kagome awaited her judgement. She realized the only person standing in the way of the shadow's intent was the child, Rin, and she could only hope the girl would be enough to sway the stranger's decision in her favor. The young woman's answer came after a pause, as her body was suddenly able to move once more at her command. The servant breathed deeply but still warily watched the three, unsure what their intentions would now be toward herself.

Kagome prepared herself for a command from the figure, their face still clouded but their name now known to her thoughts, but was surprised when the girl happily strode up to her side. The child calmly and boldly took hold of one of her hands, peering up curiously at the confused young woman. The girl squeezed her hand in encouragement and pulled her toward the figure, who watched silently the scene before them.

"Does the nice lady like flowers?"


	7. Dark Motives

A/N: Another chapter up. Thanks to those who have reviewed!

**Dark Motives**

Kagome could hardly believe the situation which had presented itself in as the star-covered night shone high above the small group in the field. The little girl had so calmly accepted the entrance of the dark, horrifying figure even as she stood too terrified to move, and now she found herself in the company of the child and her cloaked guardian traveling through the black forest. The scene seemed so surreal she half expected to awaken and find herself in her room, safe from the dark dream which was now reality.

"Um, Rin?" Kagome asked, repeating the name the figure had spoken. The little girl beside her looked upward, her large smile warm in the darkness of the night. "May I go? My friends will grow worried if I don't return before the sun comes up" she honestly explained,

"Don't worry" the child spoke in an assuring tone, looking up at the dark sky. "Sesshoumaru-sama and Rin will make sure you get back."

Somehow the words gave little hope to Kagome as she looked about for the aforementioned dark figure who had disappeared soon after their leaving of the meadow. She could not see his form, but his presence seemed to permeate the ancient trees which now surrounded them. The woman had never been so far into the forest, as the tales told by the villagers had succeeded in averting her curiosity.

Apparently Kagome should have heeded their stories better as a flicker of a shadow appeared in the corner of her eye, making her quite aware of the creature's close proximity. She shuddered as the memory of their eyes crept into her mind, golden and shining in the darkest shadows of the entrance to the hall. The confrontation in the hall of the manor, and Kanna's strange insistence on her leaving the stairs, brought back her unanswered questions.

With a small glare Kagome looked down at the cat-like creature which led their way, its tails swishing against one another as it happily marched forward. Somehow she suspected the cat, or Kilala as Rin had addressed the creature, had purposefully tempted her to the meadow, but for what reason she dared not fathom. Particularly since the object of horrors still lurked about, as if awaiting to pounce upon her should she leave the protective side of the young child.

"Um, Rin?" Kagome asked, earning another helpful smile from her small companion. "Where are we going?"

"Pretty Lady is going to Rin's home" she announced with glee, though her expression became contemplative as she looked upward into the young woman's face. "Does Pretty Lady have a name?" she asked almost bashfully, a strange tone considering her open friendliness.

"Kagome" a deep voice suddenly intruded upon their conversation, the source soon appearing as the dark shadow came into view ahead of them.

The mentioned servant girl shuddered as she wondered how the figure knew her name, particularly since she had yet to announce herself in his presence. Kagome unintentionally squeezed Rin's hand tightly when his golden eyes set upon her person, their gaze cold and unwavering. She quickly turned away, unable to stand the look, as there was something unworldly about him. The young woman felt both a burning sensation of attraction within her body, while at the same time she was repulsed by the creature's very being.

"Kagome-chan, look" Rin exclaimed, catching the woman's attention as she turned to look at what the girl wished her to see.

To Kagome's utter fascination a small shiro came into view, the structure built in a grand old style with battlements, a heavily fortified entrance, and bricks upon solid stone bricks cut from what appeared to be a nearby mountain. What confused her about the shiro, however, was the lack of towers which should have dotted at least the four corners, and which appeared only to have one in the far back, away from the entrance. The presence of the cloaked figure, however, seemed to offset some of the grandeur as he strode into the entrance, uncaring or unnoticing of the great sight.

Unfortunately, before she could ask questions to her short guide, she was pulled along, the three companions passing out of the dark forest which tightly circled the perimeter and through the open wooden doors. Kagome's mouth gaped open wide as a large courtyard stretched out before them, its cobble stones clacking beneath their feet as a stable arose on their left with the main entrance to the shiro on their right. The structure must have been magnificent before the wood began to rot and the grass began to grow, unstopped by any hand.

"Rin, do you really live here?" Kagome asked with some uncertainty as she stepped over a decrepit well bucket beside a long unused saddle. Numerous objects were strewn about the area, as if someone had either ransacked the shiro or had thrown everything at hand in a fit of rage. "I mean, it doesn't look like anyone lives here..." she trailed off, unsure how to continue.

"Rin's room is much nicer" the girl responded, obviously leading the young woman to her place of residence. "Besides, Rin has her flowers" she added, stopping to point at a large bunch of wild flowers growing by a small door leading into the shiro.

"How pretty" Kagome complimented, though she was growing more nervous as the time passed.

Kagome looked up at the tall walls, her eyes searching for a sign of the mysterious man, if she could assign him such a distinction, they had followed. However, the structure proved both more intriguing and more distracting, the intimidating thick stones and empty courtyard like a silent tomb. The shadows in the shiro were strange, as if they beckoned her into their depths with dark promises. She shivered involuntarily, even as the night was unusually warm.

"Is Kagome-san cold?" Rin asked in a worried tone, pulling her through the door and into the decrepit shiro. "Rin will warm you up" she comforted, leading her through vast passages and empty halls.

Kagome grew more uncomfortable the farther they traveled, worried she would not be able to find her way back should the need arise. She was also growing more frightened, even with the shining and cheerful child at the forefront guiding her like a bright light. There was something wrong in the shiro they had entered, something which she could only assume belonged to the man who had disappeared.

Soon, though, Kagome's thoughts were interrupted as Rin suddenly stopped before a large, wooden door and pushed open the portal. Stepping into the room, the young servant felt as if she had entered another world from the dark and gloomy halls. They had left behind a crumbling shiro and now stood in a well-furnished and immaculate space, the walls covered in bright colors and vases filled with flowers scattered about the room. A large bed was in one corner while a cheerful fire burnt at the opposite end, one large enough to comfortably fit her entire body inside.

"Does Kagome-san like?" Rin asked, her innocent face looking for approval from the woman to which she had obviously grown attached.

"It's beautiful, Rin" Kagome complimented, smiling grandly as she slowly walked the space. She noticed a small pile of stuffed animals, their covers worn but most still in relatively good condition. "Who gave you so many wonderful toys?" she asked, picking up a worn teddy bear.

"Sesshoumaru-sama" the child replied, skipping over to a large vase situated in the center of the room upon a tall table.

"Is Sesshoumaru-sama the only person here with you?" the young woman inquired, gently placing the bear back and walking over to the warm fire to sooth her chills.

"Yep" Rin answered with her cheerful tone, one she seemed to use often when discussing her caretaker. "Sesshoumaru-sama has taken care of Rin for as long as Rin can remember" she explained, her tiny hands grabbing a small bundle of the beautiful arrangement of flowers. She carefully walked over to the servant girl, mindful not to drop even a leaf. "These are for Kagome-san" the child announced, smiling widely as she held the bouquet out to the said girl.

"Thank you so much, Rin" Kagome answered with a smile of her own, taking the bundle with pleasure. The flowers were indeed pretty, but she could not help but focus on the conversation. "Does Sesshoumaru-sama often go outside the shiro with Rin?" she asked, sniffing the petals with delight.

"Not usually" Rin admitted, jumping up on a tall chair situated by the fire. She swung her legs in the air, as the furniture was too high off the ground to allow her feet to touch. "Sesshoumaru-sama said I could go out tonight, because Kilala was supposed to bring me someone to play with."

Kagome had completely forgotten about the many-tailed cat creature which had led the way, and her eyes now searched the room for the furry animal. She was surprised to find the beast unaccounted for, as she did not remember when Kilala had left them. Silently she wished to give the cat a talking to, particularly considering Rin's words about the treacherous beast's actions in leading her to the woods. The only question which remained was why the cat had been ordered to do so, and if Sesshoumaru-sama had been the one who commanded the action.

Unfortunately, before Kagome could question her short companion further an unwelcome visitor interrupted their conversation.

"Rin" the deep voice spoke from thin air, causing the young servant to jump into the air in fright.

Kagome quickly turned toward the door and scowled at the shadowed figure standing in the doorway, her reaction more of habit than a conscious action. However, she was quickly reminded of who she was dealing with when their red eyes turned upon her form, searing her flesh with their gaze. His gaze was both cool and exotic, creating a confusing combination of fear and curiosity.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" the girl excitedly responded, running toward the shadow.

"Go to the sanctuary" he ordered the child, though his words seemed gentler than a command.

"Can Kagome-san come, too?" she asked, turning toward her new friend in hope.

"No" Sesshoumaru answered, causing Rin's smile to drop in disappointment. "You will see her again" he seemed to reassure the girl, though Kagome was less than comforted at his words.

His final sentence, however, was enough for Rin as she smiled and nodded, leaving the two alone together. As the door to the bedroom opened and shut, the sound reverberating in the quiet area, Kagome felt a foreboding sense of danger enter her mind. As the clatter of the girl's feet faded into the distance, the two stared at one another for the longest moment in total silence. The only sound in the room was the crackle of the fire and the breeze blowing softly through the hallway, the suspenseful atmosphere torturing the servant's mind. Finally she felt she had to act and opened her mouth to speak, but the figure cut her off with his own words.

"You trespassed upon my lands" her host bluntly informed, nearly catching the woman off her guard.

His words and tone, however, angered Kagome and heedlessly she stamped her foot, her hands residing firmly on her hips. She would not take such abuse from who she considered her captor, terrifying figure or not. The stranger acted as Inuyasha would, without tact.

"How was I supposed to know they were your lands?" she argued, scowling as he seemed to impassively listen to her outburst. "If you want people to stay out of your forest, you should put up some warnings or-"

"I ask payment for your insolence" Sesshoumaru cooly interrupted, ignoring her words. Kagome took a step back as his eyes, with their lack of emotion and strange glow, slowly drifted toward her neck. "You will not disobey me."

Kagome blinked at his command, wondering if the figure before her knew in what a haughty tone he spoke. She could hardly believe the insolence of the stranger as he ordered her as if she were his own servant, and not a young woman he had so heartlessly kidnaped. Perhaps he did mean to harm her without the girl as witness, but she certainly would not allow him to do so without a fight.

"Who do you think you are?" she angrily asked, wagging a scolding finger in his direction. "Who died and-"

Kagome's words were once more cut short as Sesshoumaru suddenly disappeared before her eyes, a cool breeze blowing past her as she felt a presence behind herself. Before she could turn strong, cold hands wrapped themselves around her waist, pinning her arms to her sides. She squirmed for a few moments in instinctive panic at her constraint, though her efforts were short as her captor tightened their grasp and forced her to stop when her breath was nearly squeezed from her body.

"I died" he enigmatically replied, his tone cold to her ears. She squeaked in pain as he tightened his grip, pushing more vital air from her lungs. "Rin and your master are not here to protect you, girl" he calmly informed, his cool breath drifting upon the bare skin of her neck. "But tonight you will not need them."

"What are you talking about?" she managed to speak, panting from the lack of breath.

"I do not kill you now for her sake" he whispered, confusing his captive even further. "But later, this Sesshoumaru shall show no such mercy" he coldly added, his voice holding a deadly confidence which caused the hair on Kagome's arms to rise.

With those final words he released Kagome, allowing her precious air as she spun around to face him. She rubbed her arms where he had held like a vice, the spots bruised from the contact. She scowled, regardless of what had just taken place, but the figure remained impassive. He still remained cloaked, his face still hidden to her view.

"You will leave now, and not return until sent for" he commanded, as a darkness seemed to cloud Kagome's vision.

To the servant girl's shock she watched as the figure slowly disappeared amidst a fog of dark shadows, the eyes the last to dispel into the black air. As the air cleared, allowing her view, Kagome realized her dark host had vanished, as had the strange smoke illusion he had created. She tentatively stepped to where he had last stood, wondering how he had created such a strange effect.

However, Kagome was distracted as she heard the pattering of small paws in the hallway and the door, which was ajar, was pushed open. Into the room strode Kilala, its tails swishing happily at the sight of the servant girl. She scowled down at the troublesome cat but willingly followed as the creature led her out into the hall, hoping the figure had not lied and would allow her to leave.

Kagome regretted leaving without saying a proper goodbye to Rin, but the night was nearing to a close and she still had to journey through the eerie forest alone with only her guide. To her relief she could not sense the person in the woods, though the trees still gave off a strange, ancient sensation of ownership toward him. The last feeling she had was of someone watching her from the shiro as she walked into the woods, though she did not bother to turn and give them the satisfaction of her attention.

Kagome now had to trot, as she had the first time, to keep up with Kilala as they traveled through the large trees and to the meadow. By the time they had reached the familiar areas she was winded and grateful to see the opening of the field, the sun's rays peaking above the horizon as she stepped out into the flowers. She smiled at the bright light and, with renewed energy, sprinted for the manor, not bothering to notice the cat creature now followed her steps.

Kagome burst out of the trees and ran to the lain of the house, her feet pounding upon the gravel of the drive as she headed toward the kitchen door. The portal opened as if on cue and Sango stepped out, her eyes searching frantically about the grounds and were relieved when they fell upon her friend.

"Where have you been?" she scolded, dragging the exhausted girl into the kitchen. "I went to check up on you just now and you were gone. How long have you been out?" she questioned, allowing her fellow servant to seat herself upon a stool beside the roaring fire spit.

"It's a long story" Kagome managed to gasp out as she looked into the flames, hardly believing the night's adventures herself.


	8. News of Battle

A/N: An amendment has been made to an earlier chapter which now gives Setsuna his arm back. Sorry for any confusion and enjoy the Halloween treat!

**News of Battle**

Sango stood in the kitchen, her mouth slightly open as Kagome finished her tale. For a long moment there was silence between the two friends as one contemplated the story and the other awaited some reaction about her experience.

"Kagome, are you sure about all of this?" Sango finally managed to ask, her tone dubious as she ignored the boiling pot on the stove and seated herself beside her friend at the table. "Maybe you dreamed it all?"

"I'm positive" Kagome firmly responded, disappointed her companion held such a doubt. "Everything was so real, I couldn't have imagined it...could I?" she asked, her friend's words filling her own mind with doubt. "I mean, the night air, the little girl, the castle, it couldn't have all been from my imagination..."

Kagome trailed off as a heavy silence entered the room while Sango gave her a stare of pity. The young servant girl felt the expression was unjustified, but her head had begun to ache from the stress. She stood and rubbed her temple, her friend standing and placing her arms around her shoulders in a comforting gesture.

"Maybe you need some more sleep, Kagome" Sango advised as she led her to the door of the kitchen. "I can tell the mistress you're not feeling well."

"Thanks, Sango" Kagome said as she gave her companion a small smile of appreciation. "I'll just take a short nap."

Kagome walked slowly out the door and quietly made her way to her small room, the bed a comforting sight as she settled down upon the thin blankets. She rolled to her side and stared at the blank wood walls, her mind slowly shutting down for a much needed break.

"Maybe it was all just a bad dream" she softly spoke as she drifted into slumber.

The next moment Kagome found herself awaking from her short nap to find the sun low in the sky and the sound of dinner being prepared below her room. As she rose she could hear the distinct sound of a certain houshi being wacked on the head by a wooden spoon, the noise causing a small laugh to escape her lips as she straightened her clothes and ventured to the kitchen.

Though as she stepped from her room, Kagome turned to her left and peered at the wall separating the servant's hall from the main corridor of the house. With curiosity, as she remembered the escape route Kanna had shown her some nights before, she walked up to the wall. She set her hands about the area, wondering if there was also a switch on this side which would open the way.

To Kagome's surprise one of her fingers hit upon a small sliver of wood which pricked as she suddenly pulled back. Then the door in the wall suddenly opened revealing the hall beyond. The small wound on her finger went unnoticed as she stepped into the passageway, the portal behind silently closing shut. With a bright smile on her face she proceeded down the hall, intent on telling Sango of her discovery.

However, she was stopped by a most unlikely person.

"Servant" Kagome heard call as she began to descend the grand staircase.

Though unaccustomed to the demeaning but accurate title, she turned to find Master Naraku standing at the top of the stairs. She watched with apprehension as he slowly descended the staircase, his eyes never blinking as they gazed upon her confused face. She waited with bated breath to what her master wished to speak, particularly since he had never asked for an audience with her since her first interview to apply for the job. Even then he had allowed Kagura the full power and had barely been present.

"I have heard you have been spending nights outside the manor" Naraku coldly spoke, his displeasure clearly revealed in his eyes. Kagome could only nod her head in affirmation, fully aware he would know if she lied. "You are aware it is forbidden to leave the manor after dark?" he asked, his eyes moving up and down her form.

"Yes, sir" Kagome replied, shuddering beneath his strange gaze. "But I can ex-"

"There is no need" her master interrupted as he seemed to find nothing more in her to hold his attentions. "Do not disobey the rules again, or you will be banished from the house" he warned as he turned and headed back from where he had come.

Kagome was just about to breath a sigh of relief when he suddenly paused, his head slowly moving to look over his shoulder.

"By chance, have you been traveling in the woods?" he asked, his cold, piercing eyes unwavering upon her form.

"Y-yes, sir" Kagome replied, fearing he would now punish her with docked pay.

Generally the woods were thought forbidden by the village and surrounding occupants, but the rule was unwritten.

"Do not travel any further into the forest" he warned, a twitch of a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. "You may perhaps find more than you care to know" he mysteriously added as he turned and left her presence.

Kagome blinked as her mind repeated his last words, the memory of the last horrid experience still fresh in her thoughts. She shook her head to clear her mind and proceeded to the kitchen, finding Miroku slumped against a wall with a large knot upon his head. Sango stood shaking over him, a wooden spoon in hand as she towered over the injured man.

"I swear, if you touch me one more time, houshi" she threatened, her teeth clenched together in anger.

"But Sango, my dearest" the said houshi tried to argue, but any further words quickly died as Sango pointed the spoon in his face.

"Not. Another. Word" she warned as she turned her back on him and tended to the soup upon the open fire.

"Oh, hello Kagome" Miroku greeted as he slowly climbed to his feet, wincing as his head moved. "Sango told me you had not been feeling well of late. Is there anything I can do to assist?"

"No, it's okay" she responded, afraid of what assistance he would give. Kagome decided against telling her friend of the secret door for the moment, as Sango appeared to be in a most frustrated mood. "I feel fine now."

"You should" Inuyasha chimed in as he suddenly came stomping into the kitchen. "Sango said you'd been sleeping most of the day. Didn't want to do your work?" he teased as he came to stand beside Miroku.

"That's not it at all, and you know it, Inuyasha" Kagome argued as she began to help with the cooking.

"Yeah, yeah" the bodyguard replied, waving his arm about in a whimsical manner. "Anyway, have you guys heard the news?" he asked, catching the attention of all in the room. "That guy Setsuna is coming back here with a big army."

"You mean he was some kind of general or something?" the maid asked, astounded to find he was such an important figure.

"I had heard something about it a week or so ago" Miroku added, nodding his head as he closed his eyes in contemplation. "Apparently he had taken his army and defeated one of the local lords. Master Naraku must be giving him a feast to honor his feat."

"When is he supposed to return?" Sango asked, looking between the two men.

"I believe he is to return tonight" the houshi replied, gripping his staff as he turned toward the kitchen exit. "Which means we had better finish our rounds before he arrives, Inuyasha" he reminded his errant companion as he walked out of the room.

"Meh" Inuyasha answered in a disgruntled fashion as he, too, left the kitchen.

"Well, I suppose that's one more plate for dinner, then" Sango sighed as she went about making more helpings of food.

Though before she could go further on her plans, the mistress of the house appeared in the doorway.

"Dinner will be later tonight" she announced as she turned up her nose at the two servants. "And we will be having two guests for the evening, so prepare more food. Maid, clean two guest bedrooms for them to sleep in."

With those instructions Kagura was gone, leaving the two servants irked by the added work. Unfortunately, her commands were law in the house and they could do nothing but obey. Thus the two companions went their separate ways to prepare for the arrival of the important guests, with Kagome climbing the staircase to prepare the two bedrooms.

As she arrived upon the landings, however, Kagome found she had yet to speak once more with Kanna considering all of her strange words. The incidents in her room and the mysterious words upon the staircase had never truly been forgotten, and her last journey into the room had been interrupted by the strange cat creature called Kilala.

Fortunately for Kagome two guest bedrooms were located near the eerie child's own room, which would give her ample time to visit and a good excuse for being in the area. She walked along the hall, broom in hand to tell of her mission, and slowed her steps as the door to Kanna's room came closer.

With a pause upon the threshold, for she dreaded speaking with the quiet child, Kagome softly knocked on the door. With her breath held she heard no reply, as was expected, and she cautiously set her hand upon the knob. With a slow turn she opened the portal and stepped in, finding the room encased in darkness from the rising night outside.

"Kanna?" she called out, unable to see either the child or her reflective toy which she always held.

Kagome stepped further into the room and nearly screamed as the door slammed shut behind. She turned around and frantically tried to move the handle, but the simple mechanism wouldn't budge. Then a tiny, terrifying voice was heard right beside where she stood, one with words which chilled her to the bone.

"He comes to you now."

Kagome's head shot to the side and there stood Kanna, mirror in hand which reflected the glow of the setting sun as the final rays set below the far off forest. The servant tried to get a hold of her rapid breathing, but to no avail as the room became enveloped in complete darkness.

"What...what are you talking about?" she managed to question as she stiffened at the feel of a tiny hand slipping into her own. "Who are you talking about? What's going to happen to me?"

"You will know in good time" Kanna replied, her cold fingers squeezing her hand in almost a comforting fashion before her presence slipped away. "But for now, don't be afraid."

"Wait!" Kagome yelled as she tried desperately to catch hold of the child, her flailing arms meeting only with air. "Wait, don't go! What do you mean?!"

Suddenly the door behind her opened with a creak, revealing the brightly lit hallway. Kagome, with the help of the light, looked for the child but could see nothing except one of the curtains swaying in the large, open window. Without another glance she took the invitation to leave and stepped joyously out into the hallway, enjoying the many candles upon the walls as she breathed in relief.

"She can be as difficult as her mother" Kagome spoke as she shook her head in disbelief.

The conversation proved to be as fruitless as her last, so the maid went about her work. She finished the cleaning of the rooms and went down to help a frustrated Sango, who was grateful for the extra hands.

"She says the dinner will be later, but she doesn't give a time!" Sango complained as she bustled about the room, her teeth clenched in ire. "Now she says the meal is to be ready in half an hour!"

"It will be all right, Sango" Kagome spoke with a cheerful voice, though inside she was still shaken by Kanna's words. "At least the soup was already done."

"You're right, Kagome" her friend answered with a sigh, shaking her head as she set delicious looking food upon four plates. "Here are the first course meals."

"Who won't be having dinner?" the maid asked, grabbing the large platters of food.

"Kanna" Sango replied nonchalantly, almost causing Kagome to drop the plates at the mention of that name. "Apparently she refused to come out of her room and Kagura is in a fit over her behavior."

"I see" Kagome said as she swiftly left the kitchen with the food.

The maid walked into the dining hall and put on her best regal face for the two guests standing at the head of the table with the lord of the house. The two bodyguards stood off in a corner, their eyes watching the newcomers with suspicion.

Kagura, in her perpetually terrible mood, noticed Kagome with approval and motioned for her to place the food in their respective spots. Apparently by her standing at the opposite end of the room she had been deliberately excluded from the conversation, something she was not pleased about.

"Dinner is served" Kagura called out to her husband and guests, her voice barely hiding her annoyance at their private talk.

"What delicious smells" Setsuna spoke as he seated himself to the left of his host while his companion was seated on his own left.

"I agree, my lord" his young steward spoke, though his eyes shifted toward Kagome for a moment with a look of hunger more for her than the food.

Kagura, sensing trouble with what little femininity she held, stood to her feet with a wine glass in hand.

"At toast, to my lord" she announced hold out her glass toward Setsuna. "May your future endeavors be as prosperous."

"I thank you, my lady" he replied graciously as they all raised their glasses. "And would like to return again for such a delicious meal, should my next battle be so successful."

"Oh?" Kagura asked as she seated herself, her expression one of curiosity. "Are you to do battle near?"

"Well, I may pass through here again" Setsuna answered, his half smile one filled with mystery. "For when my men and I leave tomorrow, we are passing through the woods to the next place of battle."

Kagome jerked upward from where she had been pouring more wine for Naraku, a jolt which did not go unnoticed by the lord. She stared incredulously at the warrior, wondering why he would plan such a route. The forest was impassible for everyone except small groups, and to bring an army through the thick trees would involve cutting the path wider.

"The woods?" the hostess gasped in astonishment, blinking rapidly. "You don't truly mean to go through their on your journey? I would strongly advise against it."

"I'm afraid I can't heed your warning, my hostess" the warrior replied, shaking his head. "Even with the path so small, the way is quicker to our next destination."

Kagura, with a warning look from her husband, sealed her lips but remained quiet through the entire meal. She had obviously taken a great liking to the chivalrous knight and, as he had ignored her words of wisdom, was much put out by his insistence.

After another hour of merrymaking, most from the warriors, and several more courses, the meal was finished. Everyone stumbled to their rooms, particularly Kagura, for much needed sleep. The warriors were not to leave until late in the evening, but preparations were to be made for their journey through the thick forest.

Kagome yawned as she slumped down into a chair in the kitchen, her eyes weary and her body tired. Sango collapsed beside her friend, her own limbs aching from the work she had done all day.

"What a day" Kagome commented as she stretched her arms above her head. "I think I'll go to bed right now, just in case Kagura wants me early in the morning for more cleaning."

"Okay" Sango agreed, standing as her companion rose. "With two such guests, breakfast will have to be quite an affair, or she won't be pleased."

"True" the maidservant said with a short laugh as the climbed the stairs to the servant's quarters.

Kagome said her goodnights and entered her room, eyeing the poor bed with pleasure as she slowly put on her night clothes. She settled down upon the blankets, her head collapsing upon the pillow as she slipped effortlessly into sleep.

However, peace was not to be hers this night.

Kagome jolted wide awake, her eyes looking about her in confusion as she tried to find what had awoken her so violently. She rose upon an elbow and looked about the room, finding nothing by the light of the small window. However, as she watched the moonshine upon the floor she noticed a strange cloud cover the glass.

With a startled expression she whipped her head toward the window to see a mist enter her room. Kagome sat up and set her back against the wall, watching the coming mist settle upon the floor with horror. Her mouth dropped open as the white air became thicker, forming into a tall, humanoid shape.

Then the shape took form.

Kagome's eyes widened as a pair of familiar red orbs appeared from the mist, the body moving out of its gaseous state. She tried to scream for help but no sound would come forth as the creature from her nightmare now towered over her trembling form. He kneeled down, his cold eyes at level with her own as she could see the tips of his fangs beneath his upper lip. He seemed to be peering into her very soul as he stared unblinkingly into her gaze.

He said nothing as he lifted a hand and brushed the cold fingers against the smooth skin of her neck. She involuntarily shuddered at his touch, creating a reaction of almost curiosity from the creature as his fingers moved down to brush aside her short collar.

"I have come for the first part of my payment" he quietly spoke as his lips curled back to reveal sharp, pointed fangs.

Kagome could not move a single muscle as he descended upon her neck, his teeth tearing into her skin. The first part was painful as he sank deep into her neck, but then he began to pull the blood from her body and she sank into a world of bliss. She gasped as sensations flowed over her body as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to his suckling mouth. Her eyes began to droop as she began to feel drowsy from the loss of blood.

Soon, though, he pulled away, leaving her exhausted and disappointed he had stopped. He looked at her with his flaming eyes, their depths revealing an eagerness to continue with his payment. However, he seemed intent on torturing her with more visits, as he almost gently set her down upon the bed and stood to his feet. The white mist which had accompanied his entrance slowly began to return as he stared down at his victim.

"You are mine now to do with as I wish" he spoke, his tongue slowly moving over his lips to retrieve some stray drops of blood. "Never forget" he commanded, disappearing into the mist.

As Kagome watched with heavy eyes and rapid breath, the white cloud vanished beneath the frame of her window. When the last of the eerie air had vanished she leant her head back against her pillow, shuddering with strange, confusing emotions. His words terrified yet excited her in ways she could not describe, but she knew only one thing.

She wanted him to return.


	9. Catastrophe Amidst the Trees

A/N: A bit of an update, with more plot and less action.

**Catastrophe Amidst the Trees**

Kagome groaned as the sunlight from her window poured into her room, casting its strong glare upon her eyes as she drew the blanket over her head to no avail. She felt weak and ill, while the dream from the night before kept playing in her mind. The scene had felt so real she swore it had truly happened, but the impossibility of the episode led her to brush aside the images as merely a nightmare to be forgotten.

Kagome's attention was soon drawn from her thoughts to her door as she heard the knob turn and the portal open.

"Kagome?" she heard Sango softly call out, her friend's light footsteps moving across the boards to her bed. "It's time to get up" she announced as she reached down and pulled the blanket from over her companion's head.

"Ahh!" Kagome cried out as she covered her eyes with her arms and hissed in displeasure as the light fell upon her body.

"Kagome!" Sango yelled in shock, her face one of worry and horror as she placed the blanket down upon her form. "Are you feeling alright? What happened to you?" she asked, aghast at the pale face and shaking limbs of her friend.

"I don't feel well, that's all" the maid servant tried to comfort, but she failed miserably as Sango stood and quickly left the room. She returned with an armful of blankets and a pillow grabbed from an extra bedroom. "I think I'll have enough strength to get out of bed soon" she spoke, but her words were ignored as a pillow was placed beneath her head. "There's no need to do that" she soothed as she tried to sit up and her attempt was met with no success. Even the effort sapped her strength.

"You are not to get out of bed, do you understand?" the cook commanded as she settled more cloth upon her body.

"One over the window, please?" Kagome begged, grateful as the sun was then hid from harming her further. "Thanks" she spoke as her new nurse sighed and seated herself by her bed, a heavy sigh escaping her lips.

"Are you sure you don't want me to call a doctor, Kagome?" Sango asked, her hand moving over to touch her cool forehead. "Maybe they could give you some medicine. Or maybe Miroku could prescribe some herb for you."

"No, that's alright" she replied, shaking her head with a small smile on her face. "I think I just need more rest than I'm giving myself, that's all."

"Alright" the cook hesitantly spoke, slowly standing to her feet as she gave her friend one final worried glance. "But if you need anything, just call. I'll be in the kitchen all day, and I'll tell the mistress you're ill. She won't want you around her in your condition, anyway."

"True" Kagome answered with a grin and light chuckle, and then her friend was gone to her chores. "Well, time for some much needed rest..." she spoke to herself as she closed her eyes and wandered into a deep slumber.

Kagome's blissful sleep was suddenly interrupted as she was jolted awake by a great commotion within the hall downstairs as men's voices were heard yelling in the manor. She slowly sat up, her tired eyes looking toward the door as she heard footsteps in the hall. Sango opened the portal and stepped into the room, mindful to close it as she looked over her shoulder as if followed.

"Sango, what's going on?" Kagome asked, worried at her friend's pale face and trembling hands.

"Nothing. Nothing at all" she consoled, kneeling down beside the bed and tucking the blankets further beneath the servant's body.

"Sango" Kagome firmly spoke, earning a sigh from her companion.

"Setsuna has returned" she hesitantly announced, but her tone revealed there was more news about the arrival.

"Already?" the maid returned, wondering why the army had come back after such a short journey. Surely they could not have beaten the nearest warlord already and returned through the forest on foot with their armor. "Were they victorious?"

"They were decimated..." Sango revealed, creating a look of confusion on her friend's face.

"Decimated?!" Kagome repeated with astonishment, grabbing the cook's shoulders in an unusual show of strength. "Where? By whom?"

"They were ambushed in the forest as they were marching through" she explained, biting her lip as she tried to piece together the tale for herself. "They were attacked at night, and Setsuna doesn't know where the enemies came from."

"Only Setsuna?" the weakened companion slowly spoke, narrowing her eyes at her friend. "Can the other warriors not tell where they came from?"

"Only...only one other survived..." Sango replied, causing a gasp to escape Kagome's lips.

"But...but all those warriors!" Kagome argued, shaking her head in disbelief. "Surely more survived than two soldiers?"

Sango shook her head in reply, and was just about to speak when she heard her name called by the master.

"I have to go, but I'll be back later" she said as she rushed from the room and down the hall.

Kagome bit her lip as she was left alone to brood about the short tale she had just been told, but her curiosity had not been appeased. With some effort, as her strength had grown slightly with her sleep, she used the wall as a crutch and rose to her feet. With quiet steps she walked to the door and entered the hall, her feet carrying her to the hidden door which led to the second story of the main part of the house. Soon she found herself at the top of the stairs, her eyes falling upon no one but her ears hearing voices within the dining room.

With a watchful eye Kagome slunk down the staircase and into the front hall, her eyes ever on the door, slight ajar, which led to the noises. She positioned herself before the portal, her eyes peering into the room and upon a scene of horror.

"The very trees were against us!" the second in command cried out in madness as he lay upon the dining room table, his eyes full of a wild fury. He was beating back the doctor hysterically as Inuyasha and Miroku held his body and legs to the wood. "They knew we were coming!"

"I can do nothing with him if you don't get a stronger grip on his arms!" the doctor cried out in anger and Inuyasha struggled to grab the flailing limbs.

"Give us a sec, will ya?" the bodyguard countered as he finally managed to wrestle the man's arms to the table.

Then suddenly, to the shock and horror of all present, the man seemed to slump down upon the table with a loud groan. The doctor sighed and waved the two bodyguards away, apparently knowing they would no longer be needed for holding the crazy man; at least, not for the moment.

"I don't know what you expect me to do with this patient, Naraku" the man wondered as he looked over the warrior upon the table. "He needs more than physical need to heal the terrors he saw last night."

"I do not need you to lecture me, doctor" Naraku replied, his words earning him a bit of a scowl from the older gentleman. "And what of Setsuna?" he questioned, his eyes aglow in interest and anger at what had befallen his previous guests.

"He will survive, but there was nothing I could do for his arm" the doctor replied, shaking his head in dismay. "The damage was too extensive, so surgery was necessary to remove the limb."

Kagome gasped at the doctor's words, the horror revealed to her of the consequences of the battle the previous night. Now the warrior would no longer be able to fight with his full strength.

Unfortunately, her thoughts were turned back to the present scene as her quiet noise alerted the master of the house of a presence. Kagome's eyes widened as Naraku stiffened, a snarl on his lips. He slowly turned and his eyes seemed to fall upon where his servant girl lay in hiding, his gaze cool as she held her breath in fear. Fortunately another strong coughing fit took control of the soldier and the master's attention was shifted back, though the maid still felt his look would cause trouble for her later.

To Kagome's further misfortune she suddenly felt dizzy and the world around her became blurry as she tried to stand to her feet and failed. Fortunately for the ill patient, she soon felt hands upon her shoulders and believed Sango had come to her rescue. The person helped her to her feet as she felt herself slip into a world between the waking and sleeping world. She knew they were walking up the main stairs, a direction which confused her senses, but she cared little as the area soon became recognizable as the servant's quarters.

Kagome grasped what she knew to be her doorknob and turned to thank her rescuer. However, to her shock the person appeared not to be there, just an empty spot where they should have been standing.

"Sango?" Kagome called out, though the sound of her friend's familiar footsteps was then heard in front of her as she looked down the hall toward the stairs.

"Kagome, what are you doing out of your room?" Sango scolded, her surprised expression quickly revealing she was not the one who had led the maid to her room.

"I'm sorry, Sango" Kagome apologized, allowing herself to be led back into her small abode. "I needed some fresh air away from the stuffy room."

"If you would let me take down the curtain the room would be much better" Sango argued as she carefully helped the maid onto her bed. "The darkness is oppressive in here."

"Maybe tomorrow, Sango" her friend replied as she felt her eyes grow weary with sleep. "Right now I think I'll take a short nap."

"Okay" the cook agreed as she gave her companion a small smile and stood to her feet. "And don't go wandering around again, alright?"

"Alright" Kagome promised, returning the smile given and closing her eyes in bliss.

However, even as her friend's footsteps disappeared down the hall she heard another, more sinister pair stop before her door. She opened her eyes in fright as the door slowly creaked open, revealing the imposing form of her master in the doorway. The young woman sat up and pressed against the wall, her eyes wide as he entered the room and closed the door behind himself.

"I have heard you've not been sleeping well" he inquired as he slowly walked up to her bedside, catching Kagome off guard with his apparent concern. He stood imperiously over her trembling form, his cold eyes watching her without a flicker of warm emotion in their depths.

"N-no, sir" she replied, shaking her head. "I've just been having some nightmares."

"About what?" Naraku questioned as he kneeled down at her side.

"Nothing" Kagome answered, biting her lip as he inched his face closer to her own.

"Do not lie to me, servant" he spoke, his lips turning up in a snarl. "I do not allow spies within my house, even those who are unwilling."

"Spy?" the maid repeated, confused by his title for her. "I don't kn-"

"Out."

"What?" Kagome asked, blinking in surprise.

"You have ruined my plans for the last time" Naraku calmly spoke, though his words seemed like madness to the young woman. "You are no longer allowed to enter this abode."

Before Kagome could come to her further defense he suddenly grabbed her violently by the arm and dragged her out of her bed. She screamed with surprise as he pulled her out into the hall and down the stairs, passing Sango as her friend tried to stop him. The cook was easily shoved aside and Naraku stormed out the back door and out into the yard, his grip on the former servant's arm growing ever tighter.

With his fast steps they quickly left the premises and arrived at the edge of the forest, where he flung her onto the ground.

"Do not return, or I will have you killed" he threatened as he turned and left her alone in the trees.

"But wait!" she cried out, but he seemed not to hear her as she tried desperately to struggle to her feet.

Unfortunately, the walk had exerted all her strength and she crumpled to the ground, the day setting as the cold night rose upon her unprotected body. She shivered as warm tears began streaming down her face, her predicament unbelievable as she looked about herself. This had to be a dream, a nightmare she would wake up to and see Sango's smiling face.

But there was no waking and no one came to her rescue as the sun disappeared, replaced by the moon overhead. However, soon she heard the crackling of leaves and brush about her as she struggled to find cover from the cold air, the noises scaring her more as the sound of wolves close by reached her ears.

With a wild cry and more strength than she thought she had possessed, Kagome jumped to her feet and began running deeper into the forest. Her first thought was to find a good tree to climb and hide from the carnivores, but no possibility presented itself as her will power began to wane with her physical power. She collapsed to the ground as the footsteps and snarling of the beasts seemed to be upon her very form.

Then all of a sudden the noises stopped and Kagome looked about in confusion, her vision once more becoming blurry as she felt herself slip into unconsciousness. The final image she viewed was of silver hair before her eyes, but she could do nothing as the waking world slipped from her fingers.


	10. Discussion With An Immortal

A/N: Long time no write...

**Discussion With An Immortal**

Kagome shifted in her bed, her hand reaching out to grab her blanket and shield her from the cold chill of the air. To her annoyance she met nothing but the hard floor, a surface which seemed more solid than that of the wood boards. She slowly opened her eyes and blinked in surprise as her vision was met with a strange sight.

A stone wall loomed at the far end of a small room which she found herself within, from which a heavy wooden door stood within a small crevice. A stub of a candle lay on her left, the flicker of the light her only source of comfort in the dank area. No windows nor any other area of escape could be seen, and she assumed she was a prisoner.

"Oh, my head" Kagome muttered as she slowly sat up, one of her hands reaching up to hold the said injured body part. "Where am I...?" she asked herself aloud, looking about and realizing she had been lying upon a wooden board placed upon the floor.

"You are within my castle once more" a voice suddenly spoke, startling her from her confused thoughts as her eyes shot to the dark corner off to her right.

Within the shadows she could barely see the outline of a man, their features hidden by the darkness. However, by his words and features, Kagome knew where she now sat. The monster had rescued her from the forest only to have taken her within his keep, to do with her however he pleased.

"Why did you rescue me?" she questioned, her suspicions of his honor rightly placed.

"You still have a use" he merely stated as he stepped into the light of the candle.

"Other than your spy?" Kagome sharply asked, her eyes growing hard as he made not a single sign of emotion across his face. "You are the reason for my exile, are you not?" she wondered aloud, though her accusation was broken as her head suddenly swam.

Kagome leant her back against the wall and groaned, her vision growing foggy as she could only hear the door to her room open. The sound of tiny footsteps reached her ears and she knew the young girl, Rin, had entered.

"Kagome-chan!" the girl cried as she rushed to her side and placed a plate of food upon the ground. "Are you feeling better yet, Kagome-chan?" she asked in a concerned tone, her small hands rapping around the young woman's in some comfort.

"A...a little, Rin" Kagome lied, hoping to sooth the girl's worries. The air around the girl seemed to exude her doubt, so the young servant squeezed her tiny fingers and smiled upon her shining face. "Just give me a little more time" she added as her vision cleared slightly and she was able to see her little friend nod her head in agreement.

"I brought Kagome-chan some food" she announced with pride as she released her hold and took the tray in her hand. "Here, it will help you get better" she encouraged as she placed the plate upon Kagome's lap.

"Rin" Sesshoumaru suddenly spoke, catching the young girl's total attention. "Leave us for a moment."

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama" Rin hesitantly replied, giving Kagome one last worried glimpse as she walked to the door and closed the heavy object behind herself.

After the footsteps of her tiny feet had disappeared from her hearing, Kagome looked with sad eyes upon her captor.

"I'm not going to live, am I?" she quietly asked, a few tears in her eyes as she sorrowfully smiled.

For a long moment the monster seemed to hesitate, his own orbs flickering with some indistinguishable emotion.

"No."

"You used me for my position in the manor, and now you're going to use me for my blood, right?" she presumed, receiving a silent affirmation for her question. "Have I...how long will it take?"

"My blood flows in your body" he slowly explained, his cold golden eyes looking down upon her with the same strange expression. "Your body will reject the blood in your veins within a few days, or I may kill you before then."

"And what have you decided to do?" she asked, turning her gaze away and looking to the flickering candle beside herself.

"Rin will never forgive me if I were to kill you now" he hesitantly admitted as Kagome noticed one of his hands clench in vexation.

"But you have already killed me" the young woman noted, shaking her head at her fate while the monster said nothing. "Though, strangely, I feel no hate toward you." She laughed a little at her odd words, not knowing quite what she was saying. "I feel only pity for such a creature as you to exist in this world."

Again silence reigned in the small makeshift cell as the two were left to their thoughts, one pondering her mortality and the other pondering his immortality. Finally the quiet was broken by the movement of the monster as he knelt in front of his captive and looked into her entranced gaze.

"But I was not always this 'creature' you know me as" he informed as Kagome seemed to become lost in his bewitching eyes.

Suddenly Kagome seemed to be transported to another world, another time. She found herself standing within a great hall with festive decorations and merry people walking, talking, and laughing amongst themselves. Within the center of the great room sat a noble king with long white hair, his bright eyes peering out upon his banquet with approval and gladness.

"My friends" he spoke as he suddenly stood and held a chalice to the audience. "A toast to a new beginning, as my son is soon to succeed my army as the new general."

Everyone cheered with glee as Kagome watched in utter amazement as Sesshoumaru, clothed in similar attire to the speaker, suddenly arose from his place beside the monarch. He merely bowed his approval and sat back down, a modest reply to a grand position. However, the young woman could feel an ominous presence among the crowd and her eyes fell upon a sour-looking young man who stood off from the groups of people.

He was dressed in an officer's uniform and appeared to be in high rank, though his features were young for one of his stature. Kagome could only guess he was quite versed in the art of war to have made such a high position at so young an age, but his looked were marred by the ugly expression within his eyes. She could see nothing but venom as he looked out upon the king and his young son.

The scene flashed forward to another night when Sesshoumaru stood in a hallway outside a large door, his face showing concern as he listened in to a loud conversation within the room.

"You have not the military discipline to take command" the voice of the king could be heard.

"Your son has barely more experience than I, yet you have chosen this child over myself?!" she heard an angered voice answer, one which she could only assume belonged to the officer from the previous evening.

"I will hear nothing more of this" the king spoke, evidently concluding the conversation.

"No, you will not, you old fool" the officer coldly answered as suddenly the sound of a scuffle could be heard.

"Father!" Sesshoumaru yelled as he barged into the room with Kagome close behind.

The young girl covered her mouth as before her stood a picture of murder as the king lay in a pool of his own blood, the officer standing above the corpse with a look of triumph upon his face.

"You will pay for this outrage" Sesshoumaru snarled as he unsheathed his sword and charged the officer.

"I think not" he cooly replied as he snatched up the king's sword from the puddle of blood and parried the young prince with his own. "You have forgotten not to trust your emotions, my dear prince" he spoke as he slashed Sesshoumaru's stomach open with one fell swoop, dropping the elegant royalty to his knees as blood spilled from his abdomen.

"Sesshoumaru!" Kagome screamed, but she could do nothing as her feet seemed rooted to the spot.

She could only watch as the scene unfolded.

"A fine end to such a pathetic family" the officer announced as he kicked the mortally wounded prince toward his father, all the while laughing at his triumph. "Perhaps you two should have a final time alone in this world" he noted as he threw down the king's sword, turning his back and exiting the room.

"F...father" Sesshoumaru murmured, one of his hands reaching out for his dead kin. However, his eyes suddenly grew cold as he noticed his own father's sword lying close by, the object of his undoing. He looked again at his beloved father, his eyes showing both regret and the flames of revenge. "Forgive me" he said as he suddenly dipped his hand into the puddle of blood beneath his kin.

Kagome then watched in horror as Sesshoumaru took the life liquid and carefully began to lick his hand clean of the blood. He coughed on the iron taste but did not stop as his features seemed to grow more pale, but his strength was gaining. Finally his eyes shut as his body appeared to be wracked with pain, both his hands digging into the stone floor as a scream of agony escaped his lips.

Then all fell silent and Kagome thought the blessed end had come, but her hopes were not to be. To her amazement and revulsion Sesshoumaru's body began to twitch, then his eyes suddenly snapped open. His orbs burnt with the golden glow she knew well while when he snarled his fangs were revealed. He slowly stood to his feet, uncertain like a child at first but growing in confidence as he looked down upon his father's body.

"I will bury you with honors, father" he promised as he turned toward the door, his eyes shamefully looking away. "But first I have revenge to seek" he informed as his gaze glowed with hatred and he rushed out the door.

The next images were as nothing Kagome had ever seen. She could hear the screams of the castle's inhabitants as the military, led by the traitorous officer, hacked down the loyal servants of the king. Loyalty was judged by who lived as a few switched to the winning sides in order to live while the faithful defended and died.

The night seemed victorious for the officer as he walked into the throne room, the chair his awaited prize as he brazenly sat upon the king's couch.

"A good life is the spoil which awaits me" he spoke to himself as he smiled widely. "And I will be immortally remembered on this throne."

However, his glee turned to confusion as suddenly the screams of his men reached his ears. Their cries of terror were repeated over and over again as the terrible noise grew closer, finishing outside the door to the room in which he sat. Then the sound suddenly ceased, though whether for ill or good he could not guess.

The great doors to the royal throne room burst open with great force as a dark shadow seemed to rush into the room, extinguishing the candles and causing the room to be thrown into darkness. The traitor looked about himself in fear as a figure stepped into the doorway, the tall frame dripping with the blood of his enemies as he slowly stepped toward the traitor.

"What is this?!" the officer cried out as he unsheathed his sword. "Who dares disturb my victory with loss?!"

"I dare, traitor" the figure answered, revealing his identity as he stepped into the light of the long windows upon the side of the room.

"B-but...but you are dead!" the officer cried out as Sesshoumaru smiled wickedly upon his coming victim, his fangs glistening in the moonlight. "I killed you with my own hands!"

"Death did not stop me" Sesshoumaru answered as he suddenly appeared before the traitor and grabbed his throat in his strong grasp. "Nor will life be given to you."

"I...I will not let you...kill me" the man rasped as his air was cut off from his lungs.

"I will not allow death to come to you, but neither will immortality be yours" the prince replied with a wicked smile upon his face. "More has been given to me then the power of strength, and you will pay with a curse of life with the coming of death." Mists of green power began to swirl about them both as he spoke, the man in his grasp writhing in agony as the clouds touched his body. "I will increase your life, and give you the knowledge that within two centuries you will die with only the taste of immortality upon your lips."

"You can't do this to me!" he screamed in agony as his features changed.

Kagome was once more shocked to look upon the officer as his physical appearance transformed his brownish short hair into a jet-black long mane, his eyes growing into dark orbs of hatred as his skin paled in the moonlight. He now held the appearance of her former master, Naraku.

"You must choose a new name for yourself, Onigumo" Sesshoumaru ordered as he flung the traitor to the floor. "One which will now suit your new life as a damned soul." The former prince looked out upon his ruined court, drenched in blood and piled high with bodies. "But I will not choose your title, nor will I allow you to remain within this hallowed hall."

A few scattered images replaced the scene as Kagome watched Sesshoumaru drop the newly changed traitor at the edge of the green forest, not yet overgrown with years of neglect.

"The woods you are barred from entering until a time comes when your death approaches" the prince informed as he turned his back upon the man's prone body. "Then I wish to see you die with my own eyes."

The scene ended and Kagome found herself back upon the floor of her cell, Sesshoumaru standing over her in quiet expectation. However, what the former prince did not expect was the young woman to suddenly burst into tears as the emotions built inside burst free, her sobs wracking her worn body as she held her face in her hands. The joyful banquet, the scene of murder and horrible resurrection, and the final confrontation; she could barely take the feelings which threatened to overwhelm herself.

"How?" she asked through her sobs as she shook her head in disbelief. "How could you survive alone all these years?"

She received no reply but silence, and expected nothing more, but she could feel a sense of deep sorrow emanating from the strange creature before herself. The former prince seemed unwilling to divulge more of his life to her ears, and she doubted she could handle more of the harrowing tale. The centuries were no doubt filled with the blood of many innocents...

"And what of Rin?" Kagome asked as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "How did she come?"

"An orphan I had found a few years ago alone in the woods" he slowly responded. "She was not afraid of me and would not leave my side, nor will she now."

"Will she...is she doomed like me?" the young woman asked, earning herself a flicker of anger from her captor.

"Rin will live her life as she wishes" Sesshoumaru sharply answered. "Though she has said many times she wishes to be with me forever" he added, his eyes weary with his years.

"Then why haven't you changed her?" Kagome softly asked, her eyes turning to his golden gaze.

"Because she does not know what she asks" he replied. "Immortality is not for the pure." His eyes then turned on her, their soft glow replaced with a less kind look as he reverted back to his former cold self. "But you have no such option before yourself."

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" the two suddenly heard Rin yell from the hall.

Sesshoumaru rushed through the closed door, blasting the timbers to pieces in his wake, and was in time to catch his ward as she flew into him.

"There are men coming, Sesshoumaru-sama!" she informed, pointing back from whence she had come. "They are coming through the woods with strange talismans upon their necks!"

Sesshoumaru snarled at her words and looked to where she had come, his eyes flashing in anger.

"Stay with Kagome, Rin" he ordered his ward as he gently but firmly pushed her into the room.

Kagome caught the little girl in her arms and they both watched as the monster lifted the remains of the door and slammed the wood into the frame. A few loose fragments of timber flew at them, but the way was barred from both those outside and the two inside.

"I will return shortly" Sesshoumaru informed as they could see his form disappear from the other side of the newly established door.

"Kagome-chan?" Rin asked quietly after a short moment, her brown eyes turning to the woman's in worry. "Will he be okay?"

"I think he will" Kagome tried to sooth as she set the small child upon her bent knees and hugged her close. "He has to be."


	11. Rotting Souls

A/N: Managed to get another chapter done, which means only the concluding chapter remains. A thanks to those who have read and reviewed for the story.

**Rotting Souls**

Kagome clutched the shaking girl to her body as she frantically tried to figure out how to handle the situation. Sesshoumaru had effectively shut them in to the small area without a way to get out, and she held doubts as to whether or not he would be able to return. Her former master was more than cunning, especially considering the tale the undead lord had recounted in her mind.

"It will be all right, Rin" she attempted to soothe the anxious child as she looked to the door which barred their exit. Her words held more strength and faith than she believed she possessed. "You'll see, he'll be back in no time."

"Are you sure?" Rin quietly asked as she gripped her companion's sleeves. "What if something happens to him..." she suggested in a fearful tone as a suppressed sob broke from her lips.

"Don't say that" Kagome replied firmly as she tried to defuse the worsening situation. "He has to come back."

"Why?" the child asked as she lifted her head to stare into the eyes of her fellow captive.

"Because he has to come back for his Rin, that's why" Kagome answered with a smile which brightened up Rin's own face.

"You're right!" she exclaimed with glee as she nodded her head. "And Sesshoumaru-sama won't leave his Rin behind!"

"Yes, and so-" Kagome began, but her words were cut off as she heard a sound come from the hall. "Ssh" she spoke to Rin in order to gauge the direction of the noises.

To both their delights they heard the sound of numerous voices along the hall with their voices in hushed whispers. Kagome gently released herself from Rin's grip and stood to her feet, anxious to get out of their prison. She quickly strode to the door and began to pound against the portal in desperation as she realized the sounds were those of men in armor. To her relief their yells grew louder and soon the sound breathing was on the other side of the portal.

"Who's in there?" a gruff voice asked as the rattle of swords and shields was heard.

"We're trapped in here" Kagome vaguely replied as she banged against the door in impatience. "Please, help us get out."

"Stand back then" the person commanded as the young woman did as she was told.

Rin stood and raced to Kagome's side as they heard the sound of hatchets on the other side and watched as the portal was torn apart by the blade. Soon they could see hands grasping for loose splinters and the door was shoved open with great force. The two captives were overjoyed until their rescuers pushed inside and quickly surrounded them, their spears thrust in their direction with deadly intent.

Then they both realized the men were not there to save them.

"Sir, what should we do with them?" one of the lesser warriors asked as he eyed Kagome with a hungry gaze. The men were all dressed in poorly fitted armor and padding, which showed their mercenary occupation. "Maybe we can have some fun with them" he intimated with a feral grin.

"Our orders are to kill all we find" the commander, who the woman recognized as the one she had heard before, ordered. "No exceptions."

Kagome gasped as she clasped Rin to herself in a protective gesture while the men around them closed in to comply with their orders. She shut her eyes as the first man pulled back to thrust forward, but the sudden sound of a giant yowl caused her gaze to resume as she and the rest of the room's occupants turned their direction toward the door. To the young woman's amazement a giant cat stood in the door, it's three tails twitching in anger at the sight of the men.

"Sir!" a soldier asked as they all stepped fearfully away from the portal as the cat slowly entered the area. "What should we d-"

The man didn't have time to finish his sentence as the feline suddenly burst forward and knocked him against one of the aged walls with enough force to cause a concussion. The other soldiers screamed and yelled in panic as the cat turned its attentions on them and moved with lightning speed among their ranks.

Kagome picked up Rin and ran into one of the corners, safe from the small battle which was taking place. Soon the men were strewn about the floor and walls, some bleeding from their injuries but most only unconscious. Then the giant cat turned to them with a wail of greeting and Rin squeezed out of the woman's arms and ran to the pet.

"Kilala!" she yelled in glee as she hugged the scruff of the giant cat.

"Kilala?" Kagome asked in question as she recalled the small feline which had led her into the forest. The beast before them was neither small nor as harmless as she first viewed the pet, but the colors and markings were the same. "How?" she asked as she took a hesitant step forward.

"Kilala is special!" the small girl vaguely explained in glee as the cat mewed in agreement.

"All right..." Kagome hesitantly accepted as she settled a hand on the cat's head. "Thank you for saving us, Kilala" she spoke with gratitude as she petted the soft fur. "I don't think we would have made it if you hadn't come."

Kilala appeared to grin proudly as she held up her head in happiness, glad to have done the two a service. However, the pet's face soon turned to suspicion as her ears perked up in awareness and she turned her head toward the door. She growled softly as Rin clutched at her fur in worry, the small girl's mind on her lord.

Kagome, her own eyes on the portal which the men had come through, set her face to a grim expression.

"Kilala" she spoke in a serious tone as she looked upon the cat, whose attention she had caught. "Take Rin and get out of the castle. "I'll go look for Sesshoumaru."

"But Kagome-san!" Rin protested as she snatched the young woman's hand into her own. "Rin wants to help, too!"

"It's too dangerous, Rin" Kagome explained as she knelt down on one knee. "If you got hurt, how would that make Sesshoumaru-sama feel?"

"But..." she weakly replied as her voice dropped to a murmur. A few loose tears strayed down her face as she sniffled in worry. "Promise me something!"

"Anything" the young woman answered with a smile of encouragement.

"Promise you and Sesshoumaru-sama will come back!" Rin spoke as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Rin wants a family, so you and Sesshoumaru-sama have to be here!"

"All right" Kagome responded, though she was a bit taken back by the girl's request. "I promise we'll both come back to be a family."

Rin, her request fulfilled, nodded her head in glee as she smiled down upon the young woman. Kilala, sensing the conversation was over, snatched up the child by the scruff of her collar and deposited the girl upon her back. With a great roar of challenge to all outside, the feline raced through the door and turned right down the hall.

Kagome was just able to look out the door to watch them disappear behind a corner of the passage, leaving her alone with little option but to go left. With cautious steps she traveled down the hall, the sounds of men's voices coming to her ears as she drew closer to the courtyard.

As she stepped outside the entrance arch Kagome suddenly felt an arm wrap around her neck, pulling her back against a chest covered in padding and metal. She thrashed and yelled to escape her captor, but a voice behind her stopped the struggles.

"Quiet, Kagome" Setsuna commanded as he pulled his arm tighter around her neck, cutting off some air. "The monster may actually wish to find us too soon."

"What do you mean?!" Kagome asked as she grasped her hands around his strong arm. "Let me go!"

"I'm afraid you're too useful for me to fulfill your request" he explained as he began leading her out of the courtyard toward the forest. "Apparently you'll play the part of a pawn quite well, at least according to Naraku."

Kagome scowled at the mention of that name as she recalled the story Sesshoumaru had shown her only an hour ago. She'd had little respect for him as his servant, and now she abhorred and pitied the monster she now knew him to be.

"And what are you after?" she quietly questioned, a sentence which stopped her captor in his tracks.

"Revenge" he replied after a short hesitation, his tone full of malice as she grimaced when his arm tightened around her throat. "The monster slaughtered my men, and took my arm. I will make him pay for his mistakes with his life."

Kagome, her air supply limited, could only allow herself to be led from the castle and into the trees. She quickly realized the sounds of fighting were coming from the meadow, but the darkness around her made for poor sight.

Setsuna, however, appeared to have no trouble finding his way as he followed the shallow path and they soon arrived at their destination. Kagome gasped as the carnage which lay about their feet, visible even in the dim light of the moon high over head.

Bodies lay strewn about the ground, their armor covered in blood and dirt. Many held smashed bones protruding from their corpses while others were simply mangled masses of flesh. Broken spears littered the trees and bushes, signs of a futile struggle.

Kagome, unable to handle the massacre, looked to the center where the area was clear and her eyes widened in surprise. Within the center of the meadow, untouched by any weapons, stood Sesshoumaru. His expression was full of contempt and hatred, and the young woman's eyes followed his own gaze to the opposite opponent.

Naraku stood at the other end of the field to Kagome's left, a wicked grin upon his face as he held his arms folded over his chest. He, also, lay untouched by the damage which had been wrought by the previous battle, and his smug stance showed he still held a great amount of energy.

"So are you ready to give up, great Lord Sesshoumaru?" Naraku mocked as he laughed derisively. "You may have beaten these greedy fools, but I am more than equal to your strength."

Sesshoumaru, ever the stoic, simply stood and listened to his opponent's prattle. He seemed little moved by Naraku's words, for his attention was immediately upon the two newcomers who had entered the meadows. He snarled in disgust at the sight of Setsuna, but his expression changed as he viewed the warrior's captive.

Kagome could not be positive, but for a moment she thought she glimpsed concern in his eyes.

"Ah, I see you have noticed our guests" Naraku spoke with a gesture for his commander to approach him.

Setsuna obeyed the silent command and pushed Kagome toward her former employer. She struggled viciously in the grasp of the soldier but he held tightly, and soon they were standing by Naraku's side. He turned his eyes upon her frail form, white from exhaustion and her illness. His expression showed only cold disdain and malicious satisfaction, and he slowly reached up and cupped her chin in one of his hands.

"What beauty" he softly commented as his fingers dug into her skin. "And what a pity one such as you should die so young." Then he turned his attention back to his adversary and laughed wickedly. "Perhaps I should kill this one right in front of you, Sesshoumaru" he suggested with glee. "After all, what is a human to one who is immortal?"

Sesshoumaru appeared unfazed by the monster's words, but his arms at his sides betrayed his emotions. His fists clenched at the threat, and Naraku recognized the physical action for what it was. He laughed once again and released Kagome's chin, though he now held up his hand in the air with purpose.

"At the snap of my fingers, my servant will slowly begin to kill what remains of her pathetic body" he announced with cold indifference. "But perhaps if you were to intervene, she may be spared."

Kagome held her breath, wondering if Sesshoumaru would somehow vouch for her life. She pleaded with her eyes for him to help her, but her gaze also held a double meaning. The young woman did not wish to be used as a tool, and she knew her time was already short. To live her final moments as a hostage were not what she wished, and she grimly set her mouth in a thin line of determination.

"Quickly!" she suddenly shouted, catching both her captor's off guard as Sesshoumaru saw his opening to attack.

Naraku yelled in surprise and frustration as the immortal was upon them, his power focused in a green whip of poison as he flicked the weapon between his two opponents. Setsuna was able to dodge in time, but he lost his grip on Kagome and she scrambled away from her captor. Unfortunately the dark warriors were quick to recover, and Sesshoumaru was soon forced to dodge the sword of the one-armed commander.

Naraku, however, did not fight back with some mere blade of metal. Kagome watched in horror as purple tentacles shot from his body, each slithering and slashing their way around the immortal. Sesshoumaru escaped the worst of the wounds, but the young woman could see he held some thin objects within his hands. To her hope, though, he appeared to miraculously heal from those injuries, and his speed did not slow from the many hits.

"I have you!" he shouted in wild ecstacy as he suddenly flung what appeared to be a few tattered pieces of paper upon Sesshoumaru's form.

Kagome was shocked and confused when the immortal let out a roar of anger, but soon she realized what had made him yell. Where the papers had landed steam rose up, as if the scraps of parchment were burning Sesshoumaru's very skin. The wounded fighter shot back away from the fray, but his movements were uncertain and he snarled at the strange weapons which were attached to his body.

"You may try and remove them if you wish" Naraku spoke with mock sympathy as he waved his hand in the air as if to dare the immortal. "But your touch will only further strengthen the charm which holds your powers in check."

Kagome watched in horror as Sesshoumaru's breathing came out in gasps while he held a hand over his gaping wounds. His ability to heal quickly was no longer working due to the paper spells placed about his body, and his energy was slowly draining with the blood. He fell to one knee as his strength gave out, his teeth clenched in frustration and anger as a shadow loomed over his body.

Naraku walked over to where his opponent stood, gloating over his apparent victory. He stood triumphantly over his fallen prey, a grin of malice contorting his features as he raised a hand. With a short laugh he slapped Sesshoumaru hard across the face, causing instant swelling with his poisonous touch as the immortal managed to contain his cries of pain.

"Stop it!" Kagome shouted as she raced over to where they stood. Unfortunately Setsuna was much quicker than she, and soon the young woman found herself grabbed on the wrist by the one-armed warrior. "Leave him alone!"

"Your turn will be next" Naraku coldly spoke with pleasure as he turned toward her with hatred. "Tainted as you are, we can't let you live" he explained as a growl emanated from Sesshoumaru's throat. "Patience, dear lord" the monster cooed as he wickedly chuckled while he kneeled down to face the fallen master. "For now you will tell me how I may obtain your immortality" he whispered with venom and eagerness in his tone. "The time of my death approaches, and I wish to avoid fate's grasp."

The meadow seemed to grow quiet for a long moment as a strange sound arose from Sesshoumaru's throat. Kagome quizzically tilted her head and listened to the noise, which she slowly realized was soft laughter. The immortal was chuckling in the face of his opponent, even against the odds.

"You cannot obtain immortality, Onigumo" Sesshoumaru revealed with a quiet, cough-racked laugh.

"And why can I not?" Naraku snarled as he scowled in annoyance at his enemy's amusement and the mention of his previous name. "After so long of waiting, why can I not obtain that which you so easily gained?"

"Because you have nothing to protect" the lord replied with a sick cough, his eyes turning up to look into the cold orbs of the true monster. "You cannot find what you need to become immortal because there is nothing there."

"Impossible!" he quickly argued as his teeth ground together in frustration at his fallen opponent's words. "You lie!"

"If you do not believe me, then follow" Sesshoumaru spoke as his form seemed to shift and the spot where he stood lay empty.

Naraku seemed less perturbed by the disappearance and more with the revelation that his goal may have been nothing more than a dream. With a distracted tone he turned to the pair which stood close by, his flaring eyes of hatred burning upon Kagome's form.

"Before I return, I want the girl killed" he instructed as he then dashed into the woods after his wounded and mocking prey.

"Very well then" Setsuna agreed as he looked down upon his captive, his face mournful but unpitying. "I am afraid this is for your own good, Kagome" he explained with a cold calm which frightened the young woman as he wrapped his arm around her and drew forth his sword from the scabbard.

The metal reflected the moon high overhead, and the cold steel was as unmoving as its owner as he slowly moved his arm up to her neck, intent on scraping the edge along her throat and slicing her skin open.

"You have been tainted by the demon, and only death may bring you peace."


	12. Shining Day

A/N: The final chapter for this tale. A special thanks to all who supported it.

**Shining Day**

Kagome's eyes widened in terror as she realized what was to happen and she thrashed wildly in her captor's arm. Setsuna, however, was unmoving in his grasp and he merely clutched her neck tighter, causing the young woman to cry out in pain.

Then Kagome suddenly found the pressure had been released and the cries of the soldier was heard from behind. She turned and joy filled her face as she beheld her friends grinning at her not more than a few yards away. Miroku held his staff in a defensive position with Sango by his side while Inuyasha posed in a smug stance.

Setsuna now stood to her left, his shoulder bleeding from one of Inuyasha's attacks with his Tetsaiga. He scowled at the newcomers and stepped back from the group, his eyes weary of their actions. However, their attention was turned away from the pawn and toward their friend.

"That'll teach ya to go messing with Kagome" the hanyou boasted as he held his sword over his shoulder.

"Kagome!" Sango shouted in glee as she rushed to her friend clothed in a tight black outfit. The former servant recognized the clothes she had seen hanging in the cook's room, but had never asked about them. "Thank goodness you're all right! We didn't think we'd find you in time!"

"Indeed" Miroku agreed as he stepped forward. "Thanks to Sango's skills as a former tracker, we were able to find you here."

"Yeah, yeah" Inuyasha piped in, insulted at his ignored contribution. "We can have a chat later. Right now I think we have bigger problems."

"Sesshoumaru!" Kagome remembered as she turned broke from her friend's grasp and ran in the direction of the castle.

"Hey, wait!" the hanyou exclaimed as he growled in frustration and set off with the others after their friend.

Setsuna had watched the exchange in silence, but he had been biding his time. When the group had sprinted off toward the new battle area, leaving him neglected as if he were insignificant, then did he decide what action was best. With an ugly grin upon his features the soldier pulled forth a crystal from his armor, the dark light glowing eerily in his hand.

Kagome sprinted through the trees as she followed the heavy trail of blood which led to the castle. Her breathing came out in rasps as she pushed herself to the limit, her illness effecting her pace. To the young woman's relief the structure was soon in sight, but the sounds of battle came to her ears.

* * *

"Geez, that Kagome" Inuyasha loudly complained as he and the other two followed the tracks of their friend.

Because of her head start, Kagome had lost her friends in the thick of the forest. Now they were once more relying upon the tracking skills of Sango to find where she had gone. They had all seen how gravely ill she had been, even for that brief moment, and the pace of their strides showed their worry.

Unfortunately, unpleasant surprises awaited them ahead as the hanyou suddenly halted in his tracks.

"Wait" he commanded with a tone which caught the other's attention. "Something's wrong" he explained as he sniffed the air in apprehension. "You smell that?"

His companions smelled the air, and both caught a whiff of a repugnant odor wafting around where they stood.

"I think we have company" Inuyasha growled as he held his massive sword aloft and pointed directly before them.

At his final words an unnatural fog began to surround the group, enclosing them within the stench of decaying flesh which nearly caused them all to gap from the strong odor. Each stood ready for the coming attack, and none were surprised when their former adversary, Setsuna, walked out of the mist.

"I have not finished with you" he commented as he strode to stand before them. "And I bring another with me" he announced as his hand swept to his side.

The newcomer caught the group off their guard as Kagura emerged from the fog, her eyes vacant and unblinking as she came to stand beside Setsuna. He smiled wickedly upon her form and nodded his head in approval.

"Quite a nice toy Naraku brought from foreign lands, don't you think?" he asked the others as he held up the small purple jewel he had gazed at earlier. "And with this key, we shall make her dance."

Before anyone could move he pressed the gem against the woman's forehead, causing a scream of wild pain to erupt from her lips. The group, and even Setsuna, stepped back as a furious wind suddenly swept up about her form. Her cries were drowned out by the gusts and soon she was engulfed in the maelstrom of fury.

Just as quickly as the wind had appeared, the tornado disappeared and from within emerged the new Kagura. Her appearance and clothes had not changed, but her countenance was entirely different. She seemed to hold a devil within her body as she smiled wickedly upon the group, her teeth sharp with malice and her eyes as cold as stone. Within her hands she now held a large fan, one which she wielded with the depth of practice.

"Now, Kagura" Setsuna ordered as he stepped behind the woman. "Destroy them."

"Yes, sir" she replied as she stepped forward and, with a deft flick of her wrist, swept her fan toward the three.

The companions barely had time to dodge as a strong force of wind cleared out the very ground where they had just stood. The trees behind were completed knocked down or blown to the side, leaving only splinters in the wind's wake. The three members looked at one another in shock before they each had to dodge their own personal demons as Kagura brushed her fan three times to create small tornadoes.

"I'm gettin' tired of this!" Inuyasha yelled in frustration as he deflected another blow with his sword and barely managed to jump to the side in time to avoid a small hurricane. "It's your turn now!" he announced as he jumped high into the air and sliced his sword down upon the demon mistress.

To the group's disappointment she brushed aside the blow with a single wave of her fan, leaving her cackling at his failed attempt.

"Perhaps we have to destroy that stone in order to win!" Miroku yelled above the gales as he dodged another harsh blow.

"It's worth a try" Sango agreed as she followed the monk's lead toward where Setsuna stood with the stone.

Setsuna, sensing their tactics change, stuffed the rock deep into his armor and drew forth his own sword. Even with one arm he would be a formidable opponent, and Inuyasha looked eager to start the challenge.

"Miroku, you and Sango deal with the witch" the hanyou ordered as he aimed his sights on the soldier. "I've got this pretty boy."

"Be careful!" Sango yelled as she and the monk began their double-team against Kagura.

Inuyasha grinned and, after managing to dodge the last of the gusts of wind in his direction, jumped toward Setsuna. He yelled out in fury as his sword came swinging down upon the soldier's head, but the enemy was too swift as he evaded the storm of power which swept from Tetsaiga. With another wide push the hanyou propelled an energy blast toward his opponent, who this time held his own blade up for protection.

Inuyasha watched in horror and rapt fascination as his blast was cut into two by Setsuna's blade. The man laughed at the hanyou's expression and pulled the stone from his armor.

"While I hold this nothing can hurt me" he announced in a smug tone. "And your friends are starting to grow tired" he pointed out as Inuyasha looked to where the enemy's eyes were focused.

The hanyou realized the soldier spoke the truth as Miroku and Sango appeared weary from the dodging and fruitless efforts of attack. He knew they could not last much longer, but there appeared to be no way to get the purple gem from Setsuna's grasp. However, a strangled cry from the insane warrior caught Inuyasha's attention, and he turned to view a wonderful sight.

Kikyo stood at the edge of the blasted clearing, a bow in hand and her arm still outstretched from releasing the arrow. The hanyou's eyes traveled to where the weapon had been shot, and now saw that Setsuna's hand had been pierced through, forcing him to drop the stone.

"I got you now" Inuyasha lowly spoke as he cocked a grin on his face.

He raised his sword with both hands and swiftly brought the weapon down upon the ground, creating a vortex of wind energy which was propelled toward Setsuna. The man cried out in agony as he was hit by the power, his armor tearing away and the stone at his feet shattering to pieces.

Kagura stopped her assault and suddenly let out a long wail, her body beginning to steam. Within seconds she dropped to the ground and vanished into the wind she had controlled, her body nothing as Setsuna lay dying not far off.

The soldier chuckled lightly as Inuyasha and the group walked over to where he lay.

"You fools don't know what you've done" he managed to speak as he coughed up some blood. "Now you will be forced to kill your friend."

"Kill our friend?" Sango repeated in confusion. "You mean Kagome?" she asked to Setsuna, who nodded his affirmation.

"Whadda ya mean?" Inuyasha questioned as he scowled down upon the bleeding man.

"She is tainted by the monster of the castle" he explained with another short, blood-splattered laugh. "She must either die by your hands, or become a creature like him."

Before any more questions could be asked, Setsuna's eyes closed and his head rolled to the side. His breathing slowed to a standstill and his face began to hold the pallor of death upon its features.

"Time to find Kagome" Inuyasha spoke as he and his weary group once more took up what remained of the trail.

Though their limbs were weary, their pace was increased by the words spoken by the dead man. They had to get to Kagome before something terrible happened.

* * *

Kagome frantically pushed her way through the foliage surrounding the castle and sprinted into the courtyard. She yelled and ducked as a piece of stone came flying at her head, smashing into the wall behind where she was now crouched. Looking up she beheld the compound in a state of chaos as the two in the center battled.

Sesshoumaru, his wounds still unhealed from the paper which flapped against his person, was on the losing end of the fight as he was barely able to dodge the blows which came his way. Naraku laughed gleefully at his enemy's predicament, one he enjoyed immensely as he called forth another stone from the rubble which lay about.

Kagome watched as the hard object lifted from the ground and was propelled across the way to Sesshoumaru. He moved out of the way of the main portion of the rock, but the stone nicked his shoulder and he stumbled to the ground. Naraku walked over to his fallen prey, defenseless but still with his pride, and soundly gave him a kick.

Kagome grimaced but bided her time as she listened to their exchange.

"Why won't you give me what I ask for?" Naraku questioned as he strode about Sesshoumaru. "You have nothing to gain from the world, and I have everything." He knelt beside the unnatural creature, his eyes peering into those of his foe. "So why do you not tell me?" he spoke barely above a whisper.

Sesshoumaru remained silent, though the young woman swore his eyes flitted to where she stood hidden behind the arch to the courtyard. Naraku, unamused and frustrated by the lack of response, snarled and stood to his feet.

"Perhaps a moment to recollect your thoughts" he commented aloud as he turned his back upon his enemy. "While you lay dying, there can be nothing more but for you to give in." The former master looked over his shoulder, a sharp grin upon his lips. "Or perhaps you wish to meet your father?" he spoke with a laugh as he walked to the far side of the courtyard.

Kagome, seeing her chance as Naraku stood distracted by his own annoyed thoughts, silently crept across the courtyard to the short distance where Sesshoumaru lay. The lord made no sound as she smiled at him, a gesture he did not return as he warily watched her grab hold of the spell sheet on his chest.

Sesshoumaru ground his teeth together as Kagome suddenly pulled hard upon the paper, but a strangled cry erupted from his lips.

The sound alerted Naraku to mischief, and he turned to find the young woman struggling to remove the spell.

"Get back, wench!" he ordered as he strode toward the two allies.

Kagome ignored his command and pulled as hard as she could, causing Sesshoumaru to cry out in pain as the spell flared up in protest. The young woman could feel the energy sparking off the paper, and her hands were burning from the power. However, she sensed the strength of the spell weakening as she pulled harder.

Kagome cried out as a hand suddenly slapped her face, propelling her away from Sesshoumaru as she crashed to the ground yards away. She coughed violently as her breath was knocked from her lungs, and she unsteadily lifted herself up to a seated position with her arms.

"I see Setsuna failed my command" Naraku angrily assumed as he stepped over to where she lay. "I shall have to destroy you myself."

However, his attention was caught by a simple scrap of paper which lay in one of Kagome's hands, and he had only enough time to turn around before a strong hand grabbed him by the throat.

Sesshoumaru stood before them both, his eyes blazing with unnatural fire as he tightened his grip upon Naraku's neck.

"Your soul is rotted to it's depths" the lord snarled as his wounds healed in seconds. "Your time is through" he spoke through gritted teeth as his hand squeezed tightly, causing muscle and bone to tear and crack beneath his fingers.

Kagome watched through hazy vision as the lord dropped his former servant to the ground in distaste, Naraku's body seeming to disintegrate upon hitting the earth. Dust blew around where the two stood and sat, cleansing the courtyard of the filth as the young woman felt her strength fade.

Inuyasha and the group made their entrance at that moment, and they stood at the arch of the courtyard in horror as their friend lay still upon the ground. The hanyou clenched his fists as he tried to force back tears of rage.

"You bastard" Inuyasha spoke through gritted teeth as he tightly gripped his sword. "What did you do to her?!"

Sesshoumaru ignored the question which was asked of him, and was instead quiet as he stooped down and peered upon the face of the woman who had saved his unlife. She was near death, her heart beating slower with each passing moment. Her last bit of energy had been used to tear the spell from his body, and even now her burnt hands smoked slightly from her efforts.

Her face was pale as he brushed back a lock of stray hair, the strands falling limply upon her shoulders like a dying branch. He could not have fathomed the woman he had chosen to die would instead die for him. Such an unselfish act he had not witnessed since he was alive and among the radiance of youthful warriors in battle, and even there it had been a rare breed who would perform such an act.

He now held within his hands a choice. One would lead to damned salvation for them both, and another for him alone in eternity. But perhaps this strange wench was worth giving such a decision, as rare a flower as he viewed withering beneath his eyes.

With a calm movement Sesshoumaru suddenly placed his arms beneath her limp body and lifted her up against his chest. Ignoring the group not far off, he turned and made his way toward the arch which led into the castle.

"Where do ya think yer going with her?" Inuyasha questioned with a growl as he threateningly stepped forward with his large sword in hand.

"Your friend must make a choice" Sesshoumaru cooly responded as he looked over her shoulder toward the group. "Do not interfere with her decision" he commanded as he proceeded into the castle.

Inuyasha would have swiftly followed after the monster, but Miroku caught hold of his shoulder.

"He is right, Inuyasha" the monk spoke as he shook his head in dismay. "Kagome must decide what she really wants. We must merely wait and accept her decision."

Inuyasha's ears flattened in dejection as he turned back to where the two had vanished. The group could only wait patiently for their return, and each prepared for the consequences of either outcome.

* * *

Kagome dreamed she were floating high in the air, away from the troubles of life and the pain which wracked her body. She could see the manor far below where she flew, and the winds took her over the forest to the castle beyond. The highest tower seemed to beckon to her, calling her to its platform. With a light laugh the young woman landed and looked about, wondering at the view of the green lands around where she stood.

Peering over the broken battlements of the tower, Kagome suddenly sensed she was not alone. Turning around, she found Sesshoumaru standing at the far side of the platform. His face showed a strange mix of emotions ranging from curiosity to almost pity. She was confused about his expressions, and why he would appear in her dreams.

"You have a choice to make" he quietly announced as he carefully watched her reaction.

"A choice?" she repeated in question as she took a step toward where he stood. "What kind of choice?"

"You are dying" he calmly explained, though his words caused the young woman's own heart to speed up in panic. "And you must make the choice."

"Dying?" she softly asked as she tried to grasp the situation. A fresh breeze blew past her face, one which softened her mind and lightened her heart. "You can't be serious" she replied with a faint smile on her face.

Suddenly Sesshoumaru was no longer at the far end of the platform, but standing right before her. His eyes glowed brightly, and his face was calm as he raised his hand. Kagome could not move fast enough as he back-handed her face, sending her to the ground with a cry of pain. She furiously looked upward in anger, but her ire was forgotten as she now looked around at the scenery.

The forest was gone, replaced by dark mist lying just beyond the tower. No wind blew and the air was cold with the chill of death. She struggled to her feet, but a sudden fatigue struck her body and she could hardly stand by using the side of the battlement.

"Death brings you gentle scenes to lure you to his grasp" the undead monster explained as he looked out into the mist. "Here we stand on the threshold of your own demise." Then his eyes slowly turned toward the woman barely standing by his side. "You must make your choice quickly, or you will die."

For a long moment silence was between the two as Kagome thought over his words. Then, slowly, she smiled and closed her eyes as a few loose tears flowed down her cheeks. The monster lay quiet as he awaited her decision, his thoughts curious as he waited for the mortal to choose.

"I want to live" Kagome quietly announced as she opened her gaze upon her companion. "But what choice do I have?" she asked as she looked about herself. "How can I escape death? How can anyone?"

Sesshoumaru ignored her questions as he stepped forward and held out his hand for her to take.

"If that is your choice, then come with me" he commanded in an almost soothing voice. "And do not regret what you have decided."

Kagome looked to his pale, clawed hand, and then turned upward to his softly glowing eyes. Then revelation struck her thoughts and she realized what he was offering.

She would become like him, an undead creature who thrived only at night. The thought of becoming such a creature repulsed her senses, but her memories spoke of her friends and allies, those who had fought to keep her alive and who still needed her. Even the cold monster which stood before her, the one who had shared his memories and blood, needed her presence.

After all, who would be the one to keep him from such trouble should it again occur?

"I won't regret" she replied as she reached out to take his hand. "I have too many people waiting for me" she spoke as she stepped forward.

Kagome's footing, however, failed her and she stumbled into his arms, her face buried into his soft clothing. She felt a vague sense of warmth in his cold grasp, one which soothed her to her very soul. The young woman sighed as she closed her eyes, the world of the dead fading as she felt herself floating again.

* * *

Kagome had trouble opening her tired orbs as she struggled against the covers which were atop her frail form. She finally managed to awake, and the darkness of the room in which she found herself in was a comfort to her weary body. The young woman slowly raised herself to lie back against the plush pillows behind, and she looked about the room in curiosity.

"Do not grow accustomed to these quarters" a voice suddenly spoke as Sesshoumaru stepped forward from the shadows. "You can no longer sleep in such an open area."

"Then where am I going to sleep?" Kagome asked as she shifted to ease the aches in her body. Her neck was particularly sore. "The basement?" she asked with sarcasm.

"Yes" he bluntly replied as he walked over to the bed.

Kagome blinked and pondered whether he was telling the truth, then brushed aside the thoughts for another time. There were more urgent questions to be asked.

"So..." she hesitantly wondered aloud, looking about herself for any wounds or changes. She could find neither the marks from the scorching upon her hands, nor any visible signs of transformation. "Am I...like you?"

"You are" he replied with a similar simple reply as he gently took up one of her hands in his own.

Kagome noted how pale her skin was, and how long her nails seemed to have become. Her maker apparently noticed the same, as his eyes glowed softly with approval.

"The changes will be more pronounced as you age" Sesshoumaru explained as he set her arm back. "But for now, I believe Rin wishes to see you" he spoke as Kagome's eyes lit up in gladness.

At the mention of her name the little girl sprinted into the room, her smile wide as she jumped onto the bed.

"Kagome-san!" she exclaimed in glee as she hugged the pale woman. "Rin was afraid you wouldn't come back to her!"

"I'm fine now, Rin" Kagome soothed as she laughed and returned the gesture.

"Kagome must rest now" Sesshoumaru commented to the little girl, who regretfully released her friend. "Take her friends to find some rooms in the castle. They will see her tomorrow evening" he commanded as the little girl smiled at the prospect of helping her lord.

With an eager nod Rin ran out of the room with a final wave to Kagome, who only had the strength to nod. Then the young woman turned her attention to the tall gentleman at her bedside.

"When the times comes, will you give her the same choice?" she quietly asked.

"Perhaps" Sesshoumaru replied as he listened to the patter of small feet echo down the hall. Then his gaze fell back upon the pale woman lying within the sheets. "Your strength will not recover for a few nights" he informed as he turned to go from the room. "Rest now, and later I will lead you to your new quarters."

Kagome nodded in agreement and settled back down upon the pillows. They were soft against her head, and soon she was back into the sleep of death which would now hold her days. The nights, though, now belonged to Sesshoumaru and herself as they would plot out their eternity with one another.

Kanna and Kilala watched from the tall tower of the castle as Rin emerged from the structure and led the friends inside. With a knowing smile on her face she stroked her pet, the cat creature purring in contentment within the little girl's arms.

"So all ends" she softly whispered to the feline. "And our part is played out."

The little girl stepped back into a lager mirror, the world reflected beyond one of eternal bliss for those of good deeds. With Naraku no longer holding her soul, she would now be able to rest in the peace she had longed for.

Her good deed had been done.

**The End**


End file.
